High school student Zach Hornstein was so affected by the assassination of Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk that he decided to wear his MAGA hat to school to honor the leader. Unfortunately, this decision would result in his being targeted by the school administration and other students.
The story took place at Laguna Beach High School in southern California on September 11, the day after Kirk’s fatal shooting. The student told Fox 9 that a girl ripped the hat off of his head and tossed it into a nearby trash can in the girls’ restroom. He said she went into a profanity-laced tirade against President Donald Trump.
"I made a joke towards them and said, 'If you don't like it here, Canada's open borders, feel free to go,'" Hornstein said, according to Fox 9.
However, Hornstein said the teacher twisted his words when describing the incident to school administrators. The educator said Hornstein “told a group of girls to go back to where they came from” but the girl involved in the altercation “literally told them that I never said that.”
The school suspended Hornstein for two days for harassment.
The student’s mother lashed out at the school, accusing the administration of targeting her son for his political views. She referred to their behavior as “a double standard” and argued that “kids who have certain political beliefs are held to a different standard than kids who have other political beliefs.”
She further stated she doesn’t believe “either of these students should have been suspended.” The mother insisted that the school is “punishing these students and you’re creating an environment of deeper hostility instead of creating an environment of deeper dialogue.”
A Calif. HS student was accosted for wearing a MAGA hat to honor Charlie Kirk.
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) September 18, 2025
He's the one who got suspended. pic.twitter.com/RZTEF1Vl1o
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Kirk’s death garnered national attention with high-profile figures from the left and right condemning the assassination. However, there are many on the left who have been celebrating, downplaying, and outright mocking the incident.
Teachers across the country have come under fire for making derogatory statements about Kirk after his death. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is currently investigating over 180 complaints about educators using their platforms to celebrate the assassination.
Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath announced last week that TEA would investigate “reprehensible and inappropriate content” that employees share on social media.
If it’s this bad in Texas, then it must be far worse in a blue state like California. Hornstein’s mother is right — this is a clear double standard. The reports don’t indicate whether the girl who stole his hat was also suspended. But the fact that Hornstein is being punished for harassment even though he did not start the altercation tells us all we need to know. To these people, simply wearing a hat constitutes harassment.
This is yet another reason why it makes sense for parents to pull their children out of government-run schools.
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