Teacher on leave after boy is forced to stand during Pledge

[sarisataka]

Teacher on leave after boy is forced to stand during Pledge

A Detroit-area teacher is on leave after an 11-year-old boy said he was physically forced out of his chair during the Pledge of Allegiance.

Stone Chaney, a sixth-grader in the Farmington district, said he makes a pledge to God and family — not a flag — and has skipped participation since second grade.

He said he was doing homework during the pledge on Sept. 7 when a teacher at East Middle School "snatched" him out of his chair.

"I told the lady that I don't stand for the pledge and she just kind of glared at me. ... I was confused when it happened because I didn't know what was going on. And then I was irritated because that's not supposed to happen," Stone said.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/teacher-leave-boy-forced-stand-during-pledge-201027227.html

[elleng]

1. 'that's not supposed to happen.'

[lindysalsagal]

2. Ok, but some schools would punish teachers if the kids sat through it. Maybe most schools.

Teachers are caught in the political crossfire. Parents are going to disagree on everything. No way to win.

[sarisataka]

4. How many schools

Would punish the teacher for not physically forcing the child to stand?

[lindysalsagal]

5. Communities use schools to indoctrinate. Parents insist. Teachers are

Threatened for every little thing, and most no longer have job protection. Administrators will insist when communities are political.

[pnwmom]

7. Teachers can't do illegal things because they feel pressured by "communities" or administration.

They need to take a stand or they're complicit.

[BigmanPigman]

9. As a former teacher I would get written up if I even touched a kid.

The parents would throw a fit (they always do these days). In my district Jehovah's Witnesses are allowed to opt out of things like saying the pledge or partaking in any sort of classroom celebration. In High School I didn't want to stand since I am an Atheist and my choice was based on that. When I became a teacher I just never said the word "God" and no one ever noticed (of course they were only 6 and unaware of many things).

[sarisataka]

15. Can you point to any example

where a teacher was disciplined for not using physical force?

My wife teaches in a parochial school who does not even require students to join in prayers. They know not ever child is Catholic, some are in the school because it has an excellent academic reputation. She would be fired if she tried to force a student to pray, let alone physically force one to participate.

[Ms. Toad]

8. Seriously?

Forcing a child to speak, even through expressive actions - such as refusing to stand for the pledge of allegiance, is blatant violation of the first amendment to the constitution.

This is not a matter of parents disagreeing - people have spent time in jail fighting for the right to speak, or to decline to speak.

Good for the child and his parents, and shame on anyone who believes sacrificing the right of free speech for the sake of avoiding putting teachers in an uncomfortable position is appropriate.

[left-of-center2012]

12. No. I'm pretty sure you're wrong

Like, 110% sure.

[DrDan]

13. most schools? no way . . . can you cite an example?

[JonLP24]

17. When I was in school they there was a Jehovah's witness that was allowed to sit out the pledge

In fact, I'm pretty sure schools are supposed to allow that sort of thing for a variety of reasons often religious.

[kcr]

19. No n/t

[lunasun]

21. Ok what schools are those? Ones where jehovah witnesses etc are banned? There are religions

US citizens follow that do not pledge to the flag. "Most schools" in what state I would like to know.

[pennylane100]

3. I have never liked standing for the anthem,

both here and more so in England. The words of the British one are even more annoying. "God save our gracious queen" Well I never thought she was gracious and even if there was a god, why did I have to keep asking him to save her.

True patriotism is a lot more than standing and mumbling a few words.

[Warpy]

10. I wouldn't have a problem calling her "gracious." She is one of the nicer ones

I can see most people choking on the words if Edward VIII hadn't abdicated. The advantage over the bar song Francis Scott Key gussied up for the US anthem is that it can be sung by people who are sober. However, I do get your point about odering a nonexistent god somehow save the richest woman in the country. From what?

Most anthems are pretty silly. I've always wished we could swap ours for "America the Beautiful." It's still got the god stuff in it, but at least it's not a war song.

[pennylane100]

20. Well she may seem nice,

but she belongs to the most bloodsucking welfare family in England. By accident of birth, she owns millions of acres of our land and we (now they, as I am a US citizen) are expected to pay for her and members of her family to live in the lap of luxury on the tax payer's tab.

While I believe that one of the few powers she has retained is the right to dissolve parliament, even that is a right that she dare not claim as the British people would finally put an end to the big rip off that is British Royalty if she tried.

[Ken Burch]

11. And there's the verse about crushing the Scots.

n/t.

[pennylane100]

18. I can only remember the first two verses.

What does it say about crushing the Scots. How can it be the British anthem if that is in there.

There is a very weird relationship between the two countries. They were often ruled by relatives, Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots were cousins. However, I think that England may have been the bully in that disfunctional relationship.

[Midnight Writer]

6. There are several long standing religions who do not pledge to any less than God.

I see both a First Amendment and an equal protection issue here.

[MineralMan]

14. Good. I hope that teacher learns a lesson from this.

All teachers need to understand that not everyone pledges allegiance to a flag, and some students in almost any school are not even US citizens. Teachers need to teach and not interfere with students' rights.

[maveric]

16. There's no freedom if you are forced to it.

As I keep telling my RW aquaintences.

[lunasun]

22. Good! lesson learned teacher but that school seems to have multiple people in need

of the lesson in freedom
"He said another teacher the next day yelled at him to stand up."