Scottville police receives complaints about confederate flag waving truck.

By Rob Alway, Editor-in-Chief.

SCOTTVILLE — Since the posting on social media by a Mason County Central student stating that he had been banned from Mason County Central Schools because he was flying a confederate flag from his truck, Scottville Police Department has received reckless driving complaints from residents about a truck matching that description.

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School officials have stated that Travis Barrette, 18, was not banned from the school but rather his vehicle was banned from school property due to the disruption he was causing. Superintendent Jeff Mount said Barrette had been asked not to fly the confederate truck from the back of the truck because it had been causing a disruption on campus.

According to a Scottville Police Department report obtained by MCP, High School Principal Brad Jacobs informed Scottville Police Officer Katrina Skinner that Barrette’s vehicle was banned from the school property because of reckless driving.

“While patrolling the MCC High School parking lot, I… was informed by Mr. Jacobs that a red Chevy pickup driven by Barrette was not allowed on school property due to reckless driving,” Skinner stated in her May 27, 2016 report. “Mr. Jacobs asked if I saw Barrette to advise him that he will need to park off school property.”

Skinner then stated that at 2:50 p.m. she was on a traffic stop in the school parking lot when a male subject, identifying himself as Barrette, approached her. “He asked if it was illegal to fly his confederate flag. I said ‘no.'”

Skinner said she then informed Barrette that the Principal did not want him driving on school grounds and that he would need to park elsewhere, like on Broadway Street.

“Barrette said, ‘I go to school here. How am I suppose to go to school? Am I suspended?’ I told Barrette I did not know that information that he will need to contact Mr. Jacobs and ask him if he is suspended. Barrette stated he picks his brother up from school. I told Barrette if he continues to drive on school property Mr. Jacobs may have no trespass papers served.”

In a conversation with MCP, on Facebook, Barrette said he was told by a Scottville officer and Jacobs that he was banned from the school, which according to Skinner was not the case.

Skinner then added, on May 28, after Barrette had posted comments on Facebook that two residents had complained about the reckless driving of a red pickup truck with a confederate flag. Another person posted on MCP’s Facebook page that she had also witnessed a red truck with a confederate flag driving recklessly on US 10.