Mostly I just wanted to point out that I think there could be other things at play here. He might have ADD, and he kind of looks like a skateboarder to me, so I wonder if that is part of the reason the teacher hates him.

Basically, this is a live-action version of Avi’s Nothing But the Truth, a novel for teens about a kind of obnoxious kid who acts up during the pledge one day and sets a series of events in motion that eventually lead to him having to change schools, and the teacher being fired. Good book.

That said, I don’t think the classroom is necessarily the place to make a statement, simply because of other factors involved in the situation. For instance, if only out of respect for the authority structure of the classroom, the student should respect the wishes of the teacher (stand, and even perhaps recite the pledge while not repeating the phrase, “Under God”), and then object in private to a higher authority.

Although the standing is supposedly not compulsory, it pretty clearly seems to have been district-enforced and the time spent to recite the pledge is often state-enforced, so going a step up would normally get you, well, nowhere.

I’m sure that part of his intent was to irk. However, I did LOTS of things intended to irk as a teen where I knew that I was within my rights to do so, a few of those times even to make a point beyond just being obnoxious.

Kids who are not moral exemplars need their rights protected as much as squeaky-clean ones do.

So, with that perspective, I sincerely doubt that this kid did what he did simply out of principle. However, his motivation is irrelevant to whether what he did was right or wrong. That said, I don’t think the classroom is necessarily the place to make a statement, simply because of other factors involved in the situation. For instance, if only out of respect for the authority structure of the classroom, the student should respect the wishes of the teacher (stand, and even perhaps recite the pledge while not repeating the phrase, “Under God”), and then object in private to a higher authority.

On legal grounds, the kid can stay sitting if he wants. I just think that out of a sense of respect, he should have done things differently. Regardless, I’m highly skeptical of the claim that “there’s more to this” situation. Despite that I was legally allowed to refrain from reciting the pledge, I was still told to write the pledge of allegiance ten times as a punishment, despite that there was nothing more to what I did.

Interesting story, and I think both parties involved are, to some extent at least, wrong (law aside).

I don’t think that this kid is the moral exemplar you’re looking for.

Who is looking for a moral exemplar? We’re only defending his long-established right not to participate in the pledge. How hard is that to understand?

Back to the topic. It appears that there is wrong on both sides here. The pledge/’under god’ issue is much broader than the case of this one kid. But if as a movement atheists aren’t careful who they rally behind, they could end up looking like complete douchebags. Based on the tiny amount of information in the post above, I don’t think that this kid is the moral exemplar you’re looking for.

It seems more like the teacher freaked out about not having complete and utter domination of the little vermin.

Highly doubtful… Kids his age don’t make brave/noble gestures AND get kicked out of schools “for other reasons”… It’s one or other. Like with Matt LaClair. I mean, look at this kid. You all know how kids like him get treated, and how they react…

@the Hair cut comment
I’m sure Daniel’s comments about the long hair was a joke that apparently some of you didn’t get. Apparently we must check our humor at the door when it’s directed at someone we agree with. For the record Daniel I agree with your comment and I thought the haircut joke was funny, although a smiley would have helped some of the other commenters.

@Patti
But factory-farmed children taste the best.

@Grimalkin
I’m very sorry you had to go through that.

Given his history and that haircut, I bet this episode was probably just the last straw for the teacher.

Oh my. I thought complaints about long hair on boys went out with my parents’ generation! That’s how 90% of the boys in my area look, for what it’s worth. It doesn’t matter if he’s a troublemaker anyway – he has a right to respectfully opt out of the pledge and not be kicked out of class for doing so.