08-04-2025
No bathroom for students who skip Pledge of Allegiance has May River teacher in hot water
A May River High School math teacher accused of refusing to let students use the bathroom unless they participate in the Pledge of Allegiance is believed to have been put on leave by the Beaufort County School district.
In a 40-second video that has been posted multiple times on social media, a student can be heard pleading to be allowed to go to the bathroom, but the teacher refuses.
A student can then be heard asking, 'So if we don't stand for the pledge, we can't use the restroom?' The teacher responds, 'Right.'
When the student again pleads she needs to go to the restroom, the teacher says, 'Then stand for the pledge.'
Social media users identify the teacher in the video as Lawrence Scandone, who is listed as a math teacher in the high school's directory. Multiple sources granted anonymity also confirmed to The Island Packet that Scandone is the teacher in the video.
Candace Bruder, the school district's communications offer, confirmed that Scandone has been placed on administrative leave but would not confirm Scandone was the teacher in question or address why he is on leave. Calls made to a number believed to be Scandone's were not immediately returned Monday.
Bruder said that the district cannot comment on personnel matters, but bathroom policy complaint is being addressed. A teacher placed on administrative leave is removed from campus while an investigation is conducted, Bruder confirmed.
Dr. Chad Cox, the executive director of schools with the school district, said that students use an electronic hall pass system. Students are able to use their school-issued devices to complete a request to a teacher, and teachers, from their own device, would have to approve the request with a code. Typically, kids verbally ask a teacher before submitting the online request, he said, but they do not have to. There are not limits on the number of times a student can use the bathroom, he said.
Bruder confirmed that each school within the district does the Pledge of Allegiance. According to the district's policy manual, 'Any person not wishing to recite or otherwise participate in the Pledge of Allegiance shall be exempt from recitation and/or participation and shall not be penalized for failing to participate in a manner which does not materially infringe upon the rights of others or disrupt school activities.'
A student posted the video on Tuesday, April 1. It collected more than 187,000 views and 33,000 likes in the following six days. The video can be found on TikTok.
