Boy's Parents Want Teacher Fired for Sitting Son in Hall-Wont Pledge Allegiance to Flag

Lakewood Press Democrat ^ | January 8, 2003 | Ucilia Wang

[ewing]

The parents of a Lakewood Middle School student Thursday will ask the School Board to fire the teacher who told the student to leave the classroom for refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Victoria Kearney said she will ask Lakeport Unified School District board to dismiss David Laven becase she is dissatisfied with the district's handling of the complaint about Lavin's treatment of her son, Jim Woodbury.

Laven told Woodbury to stand outside the classroom when he wouldn't say the Pledge of Allegiance in his U.S. History and Constitution class last semester.

[Teacher317]

The kid probably is a goofball, but his parents are the ones who most likely went to the papers.

Gee, I wonder where he gets it from?

*sigh*

What's worse is large number of the eager 'journalists' out there who are more than happy to make this an issue, hoping that most readers won't pick up on the child's contribution to his own punishment.

[ewing]

The article didn't say it wasn't a oral test

[sweetliberty]

"We are appalled that this can go on in the school," Kearney said. "My son's rights were violated. We are trusting that the Constitution is behind us on this."

The hypocrisy is staggering. If these people are unwilling to pledge allegiance to their country then they don't deserve to hide behind the Constitution. If the pledge is so against their beliefs, they should go somewhere more to their liking....like Cuba!

[ewing]

Excatamundo, Little Johnny Jihad Jr. Woodbury was being sent to the hall for disruping class..not the refusal to say it with the class.

[JebBush2008]

Our Nation will not be Free until Men, Women and Children are Forced by gunpoint to Pledge Allegiance to the Flag of the United Sates of America on a daily basis. Any violators of the law should be shot and their bodies tossed into the public square for ridicule. Sarcasm Off!

[Bella_Bru]

And if it wasn't, then what? Answer my other questions, please. What do you gain out of hearing empty words, which they are if you have to force someone to say them?

[Teacher317]

Read post #6... the kid was trying to get those in the class who were reciting to stop.. during The Pledge. His Rights weren't being violated, he was being sent in the hall for disrupting class, interrupting others, and generally being a little jerk. If he wants to start discussions about the flag or the necessity of reciting The Pledge, he can do it on his own time, and without interrupting others who are reciting it.

[ewing]

That is the point I was arguing.

[Bella_Bru]

LOL! You do realize some on FR really feel that way, don't you?

[FreeTally]

All possibly true. I would have thought the teacher would have sent the kid to the principal or dean. But like you said, we shouldn't trust that this jounalist has reported the story 100% correctly.

[Teacher317]

see post #47

[ewing]

Also correct, the 'journalist' here slides by the crucial detail that the kid was disrupting class.

[Teacher317]

(love the tag-line.)

[cynicom]

If this kid is offended by the flag and or the pledge, they will be offended a great deal in the life ahead of them.

[ewing]

LOL! Especially in Bezerkely..

[JebBush2008]

The hypocrisy is staggering. If these people are unwilling to pledge allegiance to their country then they don't deserve to hide behind the Constitution. If the pledge is so against their beliefs, they should go somewhere more to their liking....like Cuba!

So in your World, The First Amendment does not include the right not to say the pledge and forces one to?

[Teacher317]

Since my first guess was right, I'll point you to my second guess, in post #37.

[sweetliberty]

It sounds like it wasn't just the refusal to say the pledge that was a problem but the fact that the kid was disruptive and tried to incite other students to join him in refusing to say it. It is a disciplinary issue. When I was in school, kids would be stood outside the classroom regularly for being disruptive. No big deal.

[FreeTally]

The kid can think the Flag represents the government if he wants, but he's wrong. It is a legacy handed down to us by the men and women who founded the nation.

Yes, in its pure sense, the Flag represents the idea of "America". That's fine.

The only question is whether or not our people and our government are up to the task of respecting and protecting it.

And that's exactly why I agree with the kid. THe idea of America has not been respected or protected for many years. The Flag now represents our government, in my mind, and in the mind of many. I will not pledge allegiance to our government.

Since this kid has not been shipped back where he came from, we probably need to tune things up a bit.

What the hell is this all about?

[sweetliberty]

See my post #58.