Teacher suspended forcing boy to say Pledge of Allegiance

(UPI) -- A Florida teacher accused of forcing a fourth grade boy to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance at school was suspended and required to complete diversity training.

An investigation found Anne Daigle-McDonald, a teacher at Explorer K8 school in Spring Hill, Fla., to have taken the hand of a child and tried to make him say the Pledge. The child tried to explain that, as a Jehovah's Witness, he was not allowed to worship objects. He said he would stand during the pledge, but not place his hand over his heart.

The boy's mother said she told McDonald about their religion at the beginning of the year, and the first few days, he had stood up with his hands by his side when other students said the pledge.

"We still love our country," she said, adding that her son is a natural-born citizen. "We respect other people's rights to do that. We respect the flag."

But on September 12, the child came home to his parents and said his teacher had grabbed his wrist. His parents took their complaints to the principal, who reassigned McDonald and launched an investigation.

McDonald, in a questionnaire ahead of her hearing, said she thought the religious restrictions meant the child could not celebrate holidays and birthdays, but was not aware the restriction included the Pledge of Allegiance.

But seven of the other students present in the class said McDonald went to the front of the room and said: "In my classroom, everyone will do the Pledge; no religion says you can't do the Pledge. If you don't want to say the pledge, you still have to put your hand on your heart and if you don't want to do that, you should move out of the country."

She was issued a formal letter of reprimand and suspended without pay for five days, effective October 8-10 and 14-15.