However, a 15 year old girl at Achieve Early College High School felt it was un-American to have to recite the Mexican Pledge of Allegiance and sing the Mexican national anthem as part of a class project, so she refused to do so. The girl’s teacher, Reyna Santos then gave the girl an alternative assignment on Mexico and its independence, made her sit in class for several days and listen to the other students recite the Mexican Pledge and sing the Mexican national anthem. In the end, the teacher still gave the girl a failing grade.
The girl’s mother, Brenda Brinsdon believes the school violated her daughter’s constitutional rights by punishing her for refusing to swear allegiance to another country. With the help of the Thomas More Law Center, a lawsuit has been filed against the school. Richard Thompson, president of Thomas More Law Center commented on the case, saying: “There is a sad trend in public schools across our nation to undermine American patriotism, but it’s encouraging to see students like Brenda stand up for America despite pressure from school officials.”
Erin Mersino, an attorney and spokesperson for Thomas More Law Center added:
“What’s most troubling is the different treatment for someone wanting to opt out of reciting the American Pledge of Allegiance compared to someone as a matter of conscience wants to opt out of reciting the Mexican pledge.”
