Three members of the Athens City Council in Athens, Ohio, turned heads this week after arguing that they are against adding the Pledge of Allegiance to open council meetings.
Council members Michael Wood, Jessica Thomas and Paul Isherwood all pushed back on Alan Swank’s proposal. Wood and Thomas each cited their faith, as Wood identifies as a Quaker and Thomas is a “very longtime atheist.”
“I have no desire to introduce religion or fealty pledges into local government,” Thomas said on Monday, January 12.
Wood said that he is “very against” opening meetings with the Pledge of Allegiance, calling it performative. He added that he is “uncomfortable” doing so because of his personal feelings regarding the Trump administration.
🚨WATCH: An Ohio councilman who recently became a U.S. citizen opposes saying the Pledge of Allegiance at meetings, claiming it was shaped by “anti-immigrant sentiment.”
Athens City Councilman Paul Isherwood, who gained his citizenship only a few years ago, called the history of… pic.twitter.com/iKAfHyMRVV
— Off The Press (@OffThePress1) January 14, 2026
According to WOUB, Isherwood’s reasoning was more complicated. He is an immigrant and a history teacher, and he argued that the pledge indoctrinates immigrants’ children. Isherwood also noted that the reference to “under God” is relatively recent, having been added by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1954.
“As someone who is an immigrant to this country and got my citizenship three or four years ago, I’m very proud to be an American,” Isherwood said. “The original Pledge of Allegiance did not include a reference to religion, and it came out of an anti-immigrant sentiment.”
As of 2022, 47 of 50 U.S. states required the Pledge of Allegiance be recited in public schools. Wyoming, Vermont, and Hawaii are the exceptions. According to The Hill, some states mandate the pledge be recited but have differing rules on what is and is not allowed. In Washington, for example, students who do not recite the pledge “shall maintain a respectful silence.”
Swank said that participation in the pledge is not required. In theory, that would mean that four of the seven council members could pledge, another three could opt not to, and business would proceed as usual.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the Republican nominee for governor of Ohio, addressed the situation on X.
We’ll say the pledge of allegiance every day at every public school after I’m elected. And no, there’s nothing “anti-immigrant” about it. We need more national unity, not less. https://t.co/RPUmesYm8D
— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) January 14, 2026
Off The Press shared a video of Isherwood’s comments, and the initial reactions were divisive. The post had over 110,000 views at publication, and some suggested that the pledge be altered to reference the Constitution rather than religion. Others, though, criticized Isherwood and the other council members as unpatriotic.
“I’m from Scotland and proudly say it,” one user wrote. “It’s part of the deal [of] becoming a citizen. He needs to leave.”
Another added, “If saying a simple pledge to the country that gives you rights, safety, and opportunity makes you uncomfortable, maybe the problem ain’t the pledge, maybe it’s your commitment level. You don’t get to rewrite the social contract just because your feelings caught a cold.”
The Athens City Council’s next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 20.
