Marissa Barnwell: South Carolina student's parents sue school over Pledge of Allegiance controversy
COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA: Parents of a ninth-grade student sued a school in South Carolina claiming that their daughter was accosted by a teacher for not stopping to recite the 'Pledge of Allegiance' and instead she walked to the class. The family is suing the school district, teacher, principal, and state education officials.
Marissa Barnwell said that the teacher yelled at her when she quietly walked to her class. The student was confronted by the teacher and was pushed to the wall as she decided to not stop to recite the pledge, reported USA Today.
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'No one has acknowledged my hurt'
Suing the Lexington School District 1, the teacher and principal of River Bluff High School and the South Carolina Education Department, the student's parents have filed a lawsuit claiming that the civil rights of their daughter were violated along with the violation of Barnwell's First Amendment rights to free speech as well as to not speak at all.
Following the confrontation, the 15-year-old girl was sent to the principal's office. Barnwell recalled the incident as 'humiliating' and feared that she got into trouble when she was sent to the office. However, she was sent back to her class but the student claimed that the principal did not acknowledge she was right and he did not let her know that the teacher's action was wrong.
At a news conference held on Thursday, March 9, Barnwell said, "I was completely and utterly disrespected. No one has apologized, no one has acknowledged my hurt," and added, "The fact that the school is defending that kind of behavior is unimaginable."
'Students in our school should feel safe'
More than 30 years ago, a state law was passed to play the 'Pledge of Allegiance' in public schools every day at a specific time. However, that law also stated that as long as an individual does not infringe on others or is not disruptive, they cannot be punished if they refuse to recite the pledge.
The family's lawyer Tyler Bailey stated, "The thing that’s beautiful about America is we have freedom," and added, "Students in our schools should feel safe, they should not be feel threatened for exercising their constitutional rights."
Barnwell said she "was just in disbelief," and recalled telling the teacher, "Get your hands off of me." The student then contacted her parents and tearfully informed them about the incident. The parents claimed that the district, teacher, or principal did not respond, according to USA Today.