Florida Sixth-Grader Charged After Confrontation with Teacher Over Pledge of Allegiance
A student from a Tampa suburb is facing misdemeanor charges after an apparent confrontation with his teacher who wanted him to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
The 11-year-old refused to recite the pledge, telling his teacher that he believes the flag is racist and America’s national anthem is offensive to black people, according to a Bay News 9 report that cited a statement the teacher gave to district officials. The teacher, who was substituting at Lawton Chiles Middle Academy in Lakeland, Florida, then had what appeared to be a contentious exchange with the sixth-grader.
