JUST IN: First Grader Punished For Kneeling During Pledge of Allegiance

28 Sep, 2017 by Sierra Marlee

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We’ve been discussing players in the National Football League kneeling before and during the National Anthem, but they all have one thing in common: They’re adults. Punishing them by taking away their funding and yelling at them about patriotism doesn’t make us feel bad because they’re all over the age of 18.

However, what do you do when a first grader kneels for the Pledge of Allegiance? It’s not like you can really do anything to them, at least not on the same scale as you would a professional football player.

One teacher in Florida faced this exact situation in her classroom and she dealt with it in a way that many are going to view as more than appropriate.

Eugenia McDowell contacted the media after receiving a letter from her son’s teacher alerting her to the fact that her son had followed the trend of “taking a knee” during the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning.

“I just wanted to let you know that this morning when it was time to do the Pledge of Allegiance [your son] went down on one knee,” the letter read. “I know where he had seen it but I did tell him that in the classroom we are learning what it means to be a good citizen we’re learning about respecting the United States of America and our country symbols and showing loyalty and patriotism and that we stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. I know its a sensitive issue but I wanted to make you aware. Thanks.”

The code of conduct at Pasco County schools dictates that all children are to stand for the pledge unless they have a note from their parents. However, teachers are not to force students to stand. Instead, they are to report the incident to the administration.

Apparently the boy had been “influenced” by what he saw on television, as well as the discussions he had with his mother, all of which gave him the idea to kneel in the classroom and McDowell is upset that the teacher told him to stand.

“It immediately caused him to think again about ever expressing himself in a way that would be different than how other people are expressing themselves,” she complained.

Okay, I just need to say something. The boy is six, alright? If he does something like that, it’s not because he fully understands what it means, it’s because he saw someone he admired doing it and wanted to do it too. It could also mean that his mother influenced him to make that decision, since he’s still at an age where he can be told what to do. Don’t insult my intelligence by pretending a 6 year-old kid can be “woke” enough to kneel for the pledge.

The mother, teacher and principal were scheduled to have a meeting about the matter, but the teacher refused to show up, claiming that she felt attacked by McDowell getting the media involved.

Instead, they transferred the boy out of her class and the teacher is not facing any disciplinary action.