Posted on 02/28/2013 6:30:53 PM PST by Signalman
A Texas high school student has filed suit against her school district, claiming she was punished for refusing to recite the Mexican national anthem and pledge of allegiance as part of a Spanish class assignment.
Brenda Brinsdon, then 15, told TheBlaze exclusively in 2011 that students in her intermediate Spanish class were instructed to recite the Mexican anthem and pledge individually in front of their peers at Achieve Early College High School in McAllen, Texas. Brinsdon refused, telling TheBlaze at the time that “Reciting pledges to Mexico and being loyal to it has nothing to do with learning Spanish.” She also provided TheBlaze with video she recorded of students taking part in the assignment.
As an alternative task to reciting the pledge and anthem, she was assigned an essay on the history of the Mexican revolution — an assignment for which she received a failing grade.
According to the lawsuit, filed in federal court Wednesday, Brinsdon was not allowed to return to the Spanish class after her story received media coverage. She was made to sit in the office each day instead of attend class and ultimately failed the course.
She is suing the McAllen Independent School District, principal Yvette Cavazos and teacher Reyna Santos for violating her constitutional right to freedom of speech and equal protection under the law — according to the suit, the district has a policy to excuse students from saying the American pledge of allegiance if they object, but not if they oppose pledging to another country.
Texas Teen Suing School District After She Was Punished for Not Reciting Mexican National Anthem in Class
There are some officials in that Texas school district who need to be prosecuted for criminal violations of Federal laws regarding allegiance to the United States and not engaging in disloyal acts in an official capacity.
I’ve been reading about this kind of stuff happening in TX for quite a while now. Where’s Gov. Perry?
In Kaleefornia, recruiting for more refugees who are already filling up Texas with their liberal ways. Have a heart.
You can tell that an America-hating liberal came up with that policy.
How many milli-seconds after this news broke did the Kenyan cabal file suit to get the kid to recite it?
It's one of those things that will keep him out of the White House.
I’m the last to support indoctrination via Spanish. Don’t start me on my kid-show indoctrination rant.
But this is not the same as standard US allegiance, which is part of the day for all students. This is just a single class assignment.
Now, you can be offended, but it’s just an assignment as part of the cultural sampling often done in language classes. Not sure I’d be all angry over it as the teacher, but it’s hard to see this as a simple “rights” issue.
When Perry made that “heartless” comment during the primary season, my support for him came to an end.
I’d still prefer Perry to Obama any day of the week, but during the primaries he was his own worst enemy.
Parents should really be paying more attention to what their children are being forced to do behind closed doors - no matter where their school is located. In my opinion, most parents would be shocked and appalled by what their children are being subjected to. Especially in the lower grades, because the very young are still in the process of learning right from wrong.
Please. If you have kids in a public school, take time - every day - to cover what they did in school. These are your kids. They're being created by people who don't see them as human beings. They're dollar signs and future voters, and nothing more than that. The more lives that can be destroyed, the more democrat voters there are.
I hope the McAllen Independent School District is flush with reserve cash, and prepared to lose a BIG one. At the very least, as a result, I hope part of the settlement will be firing and permanently banning the teacher and the principal from employment with the district ever again. I addition, I hope they are sued personally.
Enough is enough from these delusional invaders.
As an addeed bonus, I look forward to contributing to the plaintiff's expenses, modestly, but I am sure just one of thousands and perhaps hundreds of thousands of outraged American citizens.
I can't verbalize my reaction to your arrogant provocative response.
Had you or one of your children been the object of this cultural bullying by an inferior culture I am sure your reaction would be quite different.
I could add more, but I will save it for the development of the suit.
It’s not a simple assignment when its treasonous and you PUNISH the kid. Kids don’t get punished or suspended for failing to turn in homework, they just get a bad grade.
Arrogant? Nothing of the sort. That’s the last thing I thought I’d seem.
Basically comparing it to how the US pledge is handled every day in every class of every school in the country is apples and oranges.
Not that I particularly care to hear any more about Mexicano culture. I don’t mind if she was so offended either, and it certainly sounds like staff were treating it much more seriously than needed. But it’s not comparable to the situation with the US pledge. When the school system says we will have the Mex pledge every day for everyone, then I’d be very, very ticked.
I’d also take more offense at that Moslem studies stuff that’s gone on, because Islam is cruel and nasty. But that’s just me.
There are three things I don’t like about Perry, but I can only remember two of them. ;)
Frankly, what does Mexico have to do with learning Spanish?
The offending teacher and the principal of this school need to be encouraged to seek employment elsewhere.
They would no doubt find something appropriate in Mexico City.
AFTER they’ve paid off the substantial court settlement for this student.
I remember thinking he was spot on, re the Bernank.
I thought it was “Shall we gather at the river”?
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