The agreement includes clearing the student’s record of any indication she did something wrong
Civil rights groups have reached a settlement with a school district where a teacher reprimanded a student who refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance to protest the war in Gaza.
The agreement resolves a federal civil rights lawsuit filed after the then-14-year-old was singled out for remaining seated during the pledge.
Mark Fancher is a former attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, which represented the student. He says it’s critical right now to protect the rights of students and others to peacefully protest.
“We are living in very difficult times. Students and faculty come from various different backgrounds where their perspectives on the issues of the day may differ, they may conflict.”
The agreement includes First Amendment training for the staff and clearing the student’s record of any indication she did something wrong. In a statement, the school district also commended the student for her courage in speaking up about the incident.
