Hampshire College shuts down social media after flag controversy

AMHERST, Mass. — A Massachusetts college has stopped flying all flags on campus after an American flag was burned following the presidential election and that decision has led to another drastic shut down.

Hampshire College decided to shut down social media after a firestorm erupted in the wake of the flag controversy.

College President Jonathan Lash said in a statement to WWLP-TV the school will not fly any flags for the time being. He says the campus will consult with students and staff about appropriately utilizing flags in the future.

The decision comes after several things happened surrounding the flag on campus in the wake of the Nov. 8 election.

A school official said members of the campus community initially lowered it to half-staff after the election. That offended other members of the community.

The flag was then found burned the morning of Veterans Day.

When the decision to take down all flags was announced Tuesday, the school was inundated with comments on social media. So the school decided to shut it down for Thanksgiving.

"Hampshire College respects the recent surge of feedback and interest it has received. As the College closes for Thanksgiving, our social media staff members are on holiday break and are unable to respond to questions and to ensure posts adhere to community standards. As a result, we are suspending comments through the Thanksgiving break," the school said in a post.

Cox Media Group