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The mother and father of a ninth grade South Carolina scholar who mentioned she was accosted by a instructor for strolling to class as a substitute of stopping and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance are suing the instructor, principal, faculty district and state schooling officers.
Marissa Barnwell mentioned she was strolling quietly to class and determined to not cease for the pledge or a second of silence that adopted. A instructor yelled at her, confronted her and pushed her towards a wall.
Barnwell was then despatched to the principal’s workplace, which she mentioned was humiliating as a result of she feared she was in bother. The principal despatched her again to class, however Barnwell mentioned he by no means let her know that the instructor was mistaken and he or she was proper.
“I used to be utterly and completely disrespected,” Barnwell, 15, mentioned at a information convention Thursday, in response to The State newspaper. “Nobody has apologized, nobody has acknowledged my harm. … The truth that the college is defending that type of conduct is unimaginable.”
Barnwell’s mother and father are suing the River Bluff Excessive Faculty instructor, the principal, Lexington Faculty District 1, and the South Carolina Training Division in federal courtroom, saying they violated the lady’s civil rights and her First Modification rights to each free speech or to not converse in any respect.
A state regulation handed greater than 30 years in the past requires public faculties to play the Pledge of Allegiance at a particular time on daily basis.
However that regulation additionally prohibits punishing anybody who refuses to recite the pledge so long as they don’t seem to be disruptive or don’t infringe on others.
“The factor that’s stunning about America is we’ve got freedoms,” mentioned Tyler Bailey, the household’s lawyer. “College students in our faculties ought to really feel protected, they shouldn’t be really feel threatened for exercising their constitutional rights.”
Barnwell mentioned she known as her mother and father in tears and so they mentioned the instructor, principal or district by no means responded.
Lexington Faculty District 1 mentioned its lawyer is engaged on a response to the lawsuit and didn’t have any further remark. River Bluff Excessive Faculty’s web site signifies the instructor and principal are nonetheless working on the faculty.
“I used to be simply in disbelief,” Barnwell mentioned, including that she instructed the instructor, “Get your fingers off of me.”
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