A high school student in Maryland has been disciplined after kicking a chair out from underneath another student who was not standing during the Pledge of Allegiance.
The incident happened at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Maryland, on Tuesday morning.
The student who kicked the chair posted video footage of the event on Instagram, calling the other teen ‘disrespectful’ and said he need to get his ‘a** kicked’.
The Pledge of Allegiance is recited every morning during morning announcements across Carroll County public schools, but students aren’t required to stand during it.
A student at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Maryland, said another teen who did not stand during the Pledge of Allegiance on Tuesday was ‘disrespectful’
The teen was filmed pulling the chair out from underneath the student who sat during the pledge of allegiance
The caption to the teen’s video said: ‘Some people don’t understand how disrespectful it is to sit during the pledge or national anthem and deserves to get there a** kicked More of y’all need (stand up) to these jack***** that sit during the pledge.
‘If you have an issue with what I did today talk to me about it not your little buddy’s behind my back.’
The student added the hashtags: ‘#standthef***up #america #dumba** #hedeservedmore #b****’
Dana Falls, director of student services for Carroll County schools, said that the student who kicked the chair has been disciplined.
Falls would not reveal either student’s identity or the discipline taken, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
‘His behavior is unacceptable,’ Falls told the Carroll County Times.
Dana Falls, director of student services for Carroll County schools, said that the student who kicked the chair has been disciplined
The student who was sitting, did not immediately indicate to CCPS officials that not standing had anything to do with a protest.
On social media, however, the student said he was protesting the current US leadership and called ‘forced patriotism’ a form of ‘fascism’.
The teen wrote: ‘I was practicing my right to free speech, a right given to me by the soldiers that I do respect, unlike what he says. I simply will not stand and pledge allegiance to a country that is run by a racist, sexist, bigoted, fascist.
‘I will not stand for a country who mistreats those who aren’t white and rich. Forced patriotism is fascism, and nothing less.
‘So I invite all to join me tomorrow, and #sitthef***down if you believe that free speech is a fundamental right of the people, and that it should be protected.’
Falls said students have the right not to participate in the pledge, and legally a teacher cannot force students to take part or punish them if they refuse to do so.
Officials from Winters Mill High School (pictured) would not reveal either student’s identity or the discipline taken, citing the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
The CCPS handbook includes a lengthy section on bullying, which covers a wide array of verbal, physical and written conduct.
Bully is partly defined as ‘Threatening or seriously intimidating; and Occurs on school property, at a school activity or event, or on a school bus; or, Substantially disrupts the orderly operation of a school.’
The incident, however, doesn’t necessarily fall under the realm of bullying.
‘In my opinion, based on what I know about the initial incident … that would be considered an unsafe behavior or disrespect to the student,’ Falls said. ‘If it continued, it would absolutely be considered bullying.’
Board of Education President Devon Rothschild said the school district has a zero tolerance bullying policy.
The school system does not normally involve law enforcement when a student attacks another student unless it is a pattern of behavior or the incident causes significant bodily harm, Falls said.
Falls also said Carroll County Public Schools students are never forced to stand for the pledge in the morning, and said, from what he understands, the student who was sitting was not participating in a protest.