Lawsuit: Michigan teacher tried to force Palestinian American student to stand for Pledge

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: USA Today

June 26, 2025, 12:33 p.m. ET


A Palestinian American student in Michigan is suing a middle school teacher and Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, claiming in federal court that the educator violated the student's First Amendment right by attempting to force the student to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. The East Middle School teacher, Carissa Soranno, according to the lawsuit, allegedly told the student, “Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don’t like it, you should go back to your country.”

The student, 14, is referred to as D.K. in the suit and is represented in the claim in U.S. District Court in Detroit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan and Arab American Civil Rights League. The student did not want to stand for the pledge because she believes the U.S. government has supported Israel in the Israel-Hamas war that has devastated Gaza and left thousands dead, according to the claim.

The suit, filed June 25, asks for a judgment that finds the educator's actions unconstitutional and awards damages, claiming Soranno's actions inflicted emotional distress on the student. A spokesperson for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. Soranno did not answer a voicemail left by a reporter at a phone number associated with her name.

"The right to freely speak — or not speak — is a form of protest that is fundamental to a well-functioning democracy — even when its exercise creates controversy or makes others uncomfortable," wrote Bonitsu Kitaba, interim legal director for the ACLU of Michigan, in a news release.

Read more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/26/lawsuit-michigan-teacher-student-pledge-of-allegiance/84370831007/

---

Link to ACLU PRESS RELEASE - Civil Rights Groups Sue School District for Violating Free Speech Rights of Palestinian-American Student Who Refused to Stand for Pledge of Allegiance

Link to COMPLAINT (PDF) - https://www.aclumich.org/sites/default/files/field_documents/001_complaint_4.pdf

[Irish_Dem]

1. As a military kid, I went to DOD schools. We never said the pledge or sang the national anthem, etc.

We didn't wave flags.
We didn't carry on like MAGAs do today.

Why is that?

We knew we were patriotic, we didn't have to prove it to anyone.
Our dads risked their lives every day for the USA.

And the most important reason is that we believed in democracy with our hearts and souls.
Our dads risked their lives so their kids could be free.
Not forced to be fake patriots.
Free to be what they wanted to be.

[JT45242]

2. Our guidelines in multiple Ohio schools were everyone had to stand but did not have to say it

Taught for twenty years starting in mid 90s to mid 2010s.

I would stand and say nothing. I told kids at the beginning of the year that was the rule. You must stand, you do not have to say it.

If I recall from my class about court decisions that was the compromise ruling over some Mennonite or similar denomination students who do not pledge to anything but God.

[SidneyR]

3. You don't think being forced to stand

is an infringement on someone's rights? It certainly looks like it to me.

[JT45242]

4. Compromise ruling...you are not pledging but are participating

I relocked up the case it was Jehovah witnesses.

You cannot force people to say it. But standing in unison with your class has generally been ruled ok.

There have been lots of cases like this raised over the last 50 years, sometimes just as a way to get the court to make rulings.

The details of this case might actually be more about bullying a minority student in general rather than the legal principles around the pledge of allegiance in school

[reACTIONary]

9. Yes Jehovah witness...

.... when I was in elementary school, one of the kids did not say the pledge. Probably did not stand either, because it was evident that he was not participating. I asked him about it, and he told me he was a Jehovah witness. So I told my mother about it and she explained to me the first amendment, freedom of conscious and civil liberties.

I really love my mom!

[PhylliPretzel]

5. I did something similar . . .

I told my students they needed to stand to show respect for the education they were getting, but saying the pledge was at their discretion. As a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) that was my personal approach.

[Happy Hoosier]

19. You don't have to stand either. THAT is aforced speech. NT

My daughter sat quietly for 4 years of high school. One teacher tried to make an issue of it, and the admin of the school told her (the teacher) she was out of line.

[3825-87867]

6. Huh?

A pledge is a promise or statement to do something. By "definition" it is needed only once, not every day, week, month or year.
By reasoning that a pledge has to be made more than once would mean any corporation, public entity or person "pledging" to contribute to any political or for that fact anything would or could (maybe by the SCROTUS) be required to redo their offering every day, week, month or year?
Once you pledge allegience to that flag, it's done and over with. If you disobey that pledge, where is the law that makes it a crime?
Free speech? Only for Republicants.
And did the presidunce even say that pledge as a student or even as whatever the hell he purports to be today which would get what kind of action? Exactly nothing!

[LisaM]

7. I don't remember ever saying it past fifth grade.

In fact, I couldn't swear we even said it in fifth grade. I kind of remember saying it in fourth grade. But not when I was 14!

[reACTIONary]

10. I said it way back when in elementary, but...

.... it was "one nation, indivisible" - nothing about god. Never said it past forth or fifth grade.

[DENVERPOPS]

12. that was true

across the nation........

[JT45242]

15. As a high school teacher things changed post 9/11

After 9/11, we went to the pledge being part of Monday morning announcement.

Prior to that, it was only in the elementary schools that students said it.

As a gen Xer, we didn't do it in HS.

[3Hotdogs]

17. Public School, Millburn, N.J. I graduated in 1960. Each day started with a reading of a Psalm,

the Lord's Prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. I don't recall if Jesus came before the flag or the other way around. Then came Madalyn Murray O'Hare. Jesus took a hike but mandatory standing and reciting continued.

1970's, I was a teacher. Supremes said the "Pledge" required kids only to stand. You'd think the world was going to come to an end. Next day, administrators stood outside the classroom doors of Social Studies teachers to make sure that riots weren't going to break out between the kids that were parroting and those that were just standing.

[Oeditpus Rex]

8. Can't do that

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_State_Board_of_Education_v._Barnette?wprov=sfla1

Every public school teacher, staff member and administrator should know this.

[DENVERPOPS]

11. LOL De Ja Vue all over again

When I was in High school, in Denver, in the mid 60's we had an assembly in the school auditorium. There were actually two assemblies as the Auditorium only had seats for 1500 and we had 3000 students.
I was next to my best friend on the outside aisle seating section. They asked that we all stand, put our hands over our heart, and recite the pledge of allegiance. My friend on the aisle seat stood politely, with his hands at his sides, but did not put his hand over his heart and say the Pledge of Allegiance.
One of the teachers standing beside him, grabbed him roughly and pushed him into the wall for being disrespectful to the flag of the United States.
He then man-handled my friend all the way to the Assistant Principal's office, shoving him and yelling at him all the way.
When the Asst. Principal heard what my friend had done, he started yelling at my friend also. My friend asked if he could use the phone on the asst. principal's desk to call his father. My friend told his father what had just taken place, the despicable thing said to him, and the rough physical man-handling by the teacher. My friend got off the phone, and told the Asst. Principal and Teacher that his father would be there in 15 minutes.
The office was not on the street side of the building, or they would have seen out their window, the chauffeur driven limousine pull up in front of the school, with four small, Canadian Flags on the bumpers,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
He went into the office, and I think they thought my friends father would side with them in criticizing his son. He listened to then yell about his son's conduct.
Then he handed them both his business card, and asked them if it ever crossed their simple minds that his son might be a Canadian Citizen and shouldn't be expected to say the pledge of allegiance to the U.S. Flag?????? They looked at the father's business card, and he was the Chief of the Canadian Embassy in Denver.
He then stated, that by 3:00 THAT afternoon, he would expect three letters of apology, each personally signed, on his desk at the Canadiam embassy downtown. One from the Teacher, One from the Asst. Principal, and one from the Superintendent of The Denver Public Schools.

My friends father stated that if they ALL didn't comply, at 3:00 he would be calling the Editors of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News and report the occurrence to them...

The letters of apology were all there, personally signed, by 2:00.............

[SomewhereInTheMiddle]

13. My town in PA ...

... is home to the US Army War College. The War College hosts ~80 officers from allied nations in each class. This means there are ~80 international families, most with multiple kids in the local schools. It makes for a particularly cosmopolitan atmosphere for a small town's schools. These are not the only foreign students, but they were the ones I thought of when I read this.

Are international students expected to stand and pledge?

I am currently living in Rwanda and have lived in several other countries over the years. I never pledge to their flag (Can't remember ever being asked to do so) but I do stand for their national anthems. A matter of courtesy. I would expect my kids to do the same thing.

I applaud your Canadian student.

[Solly Mack]

14. One should not be forced to stand for or recite the pledge.

It's that simple.

[pansypoo53219]

16. last time i said the pledge i was in grade school. i would rather pledge to the constitution.

[eppur_se_muova]

18. Surprised to read it's the law in most states -- and the holdouts aren't at all the ones you might expect.

The history of the Pledge makes for some - well, interesting - reading:

The Balch Pledge

We give our heads and hearts to God and our country; one country, one language, one flag!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pledge_of_Allegiance

So ... maybe "Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer" had an American inspiration behind it ???