8th grader who sat for Pledge of Allegiance told she should ‘go back to your country' by teacher
An 8th grader who refused to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance says she was told she should 'go back to your country' by a teacher.
Danielle Khalaf, 14, a student at East Middle School in Plymouth, Michigan, said that she did not want to stand on January 10 because of 'what's happening in Palestine.'
'After the Pledge was over the teacher addressed the class and said that anyone that was sitting down was being very disrespectful to soldiers, to America,' Khalaf told 7 News Detroit.
The teenager said that she went to speak to her teacher after class to explain her reasons but claims she was told: 'Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don't like it, you should go back to [your] country.'
'I was sobbing, and I ran out of the room crying,' Khalaf said in an interview.
The Independent has contacted Plymouth-Canton Community Schools for comment.
Khalaf and her father, Jacob Khalaf, joined a press conference given by the Arab American Civil Rights League about the incident Thursday.
'As a father, it was heartbreaking to see my daughter come home in tears because of what she had to deal with in school,' her father said.
'Danielle was exercising her constitutional right when she chose to remain seated during the Pledge of Allegiance. Instead of respecting her decision, the teacher humiliated her in front of her classmates and peers.
'And made a deeply offensive comment, essentially telling my daughter that she does not belong to this country. My daughter, an American citizen, being told she does not belong to this country.'
The organization said it was demanding action after the 8th grader was 'publicly humiliated in class for exercising her constitutional right to remain seated' during the Pledge.
'What happened to Danielle is a failure of the system to protect our children. Educators should uplift, not humiliate students,' said Nabih Ayd, the organization's founder.
In a statement to 7 News, the school said it had taken 'appropriate action' but added it could not share specific details about the teacher.
'We want to be clear that discrimination in any form is not tolerated by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools and is taken very seriously,' the statement said.
'The district became aware of this incident after it occurred. As with all complaints, an investigation was conducted, and appropriate action was taken in alignment with district policies and procedures. Because this is a personnel matter, we are unable to share specific details regarding the employee involved.'
It added that 'restorative practices' between Khalaf and the teacher had been facilitated.
Khalaf's father has called for the teacher to be fired.
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