Lawsuit: Michigan teacher tried to force Palestinian American student to stand for Pledge [View all]
Source: USA Today
June 26, 2025, 12:33 p.m. ET
A Palestinian American student in Michigan is suing a middle school teacher and Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, claiming in federal court that the educator violated the student's First Amendment right by attempting to force the student to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The East Middle School teacher, Carissa Soranno, according to the lawsuit, allegedly told the student, “Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don’t like it, you should go back to your country.”
The student, 14, is referred to as D.K. in the suit and is represented in the claim in U.S. District Court in Detroit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan and Arab American Civil Rights League. The student did not want to stand for the pledge because she believes the U.S. government has supported Israel in the Israel-Hamas war that has devastated Gaza and left thousands dead, according to the claim.
The suit, filed June 25, asks for a judgment that finds the educator's actions unconstitutional and awards damages, claiming Soranno's actions inflicted emotional distress on the student. A spokesperson for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. Soranno did not answer a voicemail left by a reporter at a phone number associated with her name.
"The right to freely speak — or not speak — is a form of protest that is fundamental to a well-functioning democracy — even when its exercise creates controversy or makes others uncomfortable," wrote Bonitsu Kitaba, interim legal director for the ACLU of Michigan, in a news release.
Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/26/lawsuit-michigan-teacher-student-pledge-of-allegiance/84370831007/
Link to ACLU PRESS RELEASE - Civil Rights Groups Sue School District for Violating Free Speech Rights of Palestinian-American Student Who Refused to Stand for Pledge of Allegiance
Link to COMPLAINT (PDF) - https://www.aclumich.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/001_complaint_4.pdf
= new reply since forum marked as read