The land of the free, the home of the brave
An 11-year-old student in Florida refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, and after explaining his reasons, was kicked out of class.
He was then eventually arrested for being disruptive and disobeying commands to calm down.
According to local news outlet Bay News 9, the boy’s mother has since voiced her outrage that the situation escalated to the point it did.
She said: “I’m upset, I’m angry. I’m hurt. More so for my son. My son has never been through anything like this. I feel like this should’ve been handled differently. If any disciplinary action should’ve been taken, it should’ve been with the school. He shouldn’t have been arrested.”
The student reportedly told the substitute teacher the flag was racist and the national anthem was offensive to black people.
In a statement to the district, the substitute teacher reported telling the 11-year-old boy “Why if it was so bad here he did not go to another place to live?”
After the teacher told him he could “always go back,” she called the school’s office “because I did not want to continue dealing with him,” the station reported.
The boy was suspended from school for three days.
