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12-Year-Old Tampa Boy Kicked Out Of Class For Not Standing For Pledge Of Allegiance

By Angelica N. Sumter
Published on: 07:47 PST, Oct 23, 2016

A 12-year-old boy, Mark Dawson, says that his teacher yelled at him and kicked him out of class for not standing for the pledge of allegiance and now his family is contemplating a lawsuit, according to the WFLA.

“I don’t believe in standing up for it because there’s more than one religion,” said Dawson. “I believe in more than one religion and more than one nation.”

Last month during first period at Liberty Middle School, where Dawson is a sixth-grader, he stated that while his classmates stood to say the pledge of allegiance, he remained in his seat and was scolded by his teacher as a result.

The teacher, who remains unnamed, kicked the boy out of the classroom not knowing that the Hillsborough County School District school policy permits all children to opt out of saying the pledge of allegiance just as long as they do not interfere with anyone else who wants to say it.

A school representative stated that at the time the Hillsborough County teacher was unaware of the school policy but has since been informed after speaking with the principal.

It was reported that the teacher was in the wrong, but it was not immediately made clear if the teacher will face disciplinary action.

Jovany Galarzan on Facebook says that he can relate to the Tampa boy for not standing for the pledge of allegiance as he had done the same while in school. However, he added that it was only from having an attitude, not due to religious purposes. Galarzan went on to say that “the teacher yelled at me and gave me extra work. It wouldn’t have made the news then so when did this newer generation become so sensitive.”

Another Facebook user, Jack Martinez Jr. wrote “I guess the constitution is only for people that agree with people’s rights being violated. Whether you agree with the kid or not, the child should be applauded for knowing that we have a right as Americans to disagree. A lot of you seem to have forgotten that.”

“I always stand for the anthem and pledge of allegiance, but I’m not going to try to force someone who doesn’t want to. Why don’t we all just listen to each other and try to find a way to fix the problems, so we can all agree?”

“Too many closed-minded and ignorant people speak without knowing the reason why people are protesting because they don’t agree. God gave us one mouth and two ears so we can listen twice as much as we speak,” Martinez added.

Ana Theresia Walker on Facebook says she has mixed feelings on the matter. She wrote “Most kids aren’t in many places where the pledge is said or star spangled banner is sung. I don’t think that many understand what the pledge actually means and why it is important to show respect.”

“Growing up around many military bases, the pledge was a way of life! Is it lost on just the military who risk their lives so everyone else can reap the benefits?”

Mark’s aunt, Sauda Silver, says that she stands behind her nephew and thinks his choice to remain seated, and opt out of saying the pledge of allegiance was courageous “to stand up for what you believe in, even if it means losing everything.”

Although the boy’s classmates “give him a hard time” for not wanting to say the pledge of allegiance, he says he wants to follow his own path and believe in what he wants to believe in, according to WESH 2.

Dawson’s family told reporters that the teacher berated him three times, but a spokesperson for the school say that it occurred once. However, relatives say they are thinking of “suing the school district for infringing on Mark’s rights.”

After the Tampa boy was scolded by his teacher, he says that he still has no intentions in standing during the pledge of allegiance.

[Featured Image by Jani Bryson/iStock]

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