ROTC student suspended for telling Muslim to respect flag, remove hijab
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Posted: August 29, 200911:20 pm Eastern
© 2009 WorldNetDaily
Maybe it's because her dad served in the U.S. Marines ... or because her high school mascot is a fierce-looking eagle ... or because she plans to enlist in the Army next summer after graduation to defend her country ... whatever the reason, when Heather Lawrence saw a fellow student refuse to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and recite it with the class, the 16-year-old Junior ROTC member saw a teachable moment and took it.
And for that, she's been suspended five days.
Lawrence's troubles with administrators at Springstead High School in Spring Hill, Fla., began last Wednesday when she noticed a female Muslim student refusing to participate in the Pledge. The student was wearing a hijab, the traditional Muslim headscarf.
Later in the day, Lawrence encountered the student between periods and told her she should stand for the pledge, reported Hernando Today.
"Take that thing off your head and act like you're proud to be an American," Lawrence told her.
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This is an example of the "over reaction" we see from adults to a situation involving children in a learning period of their lives.
ReplyDeleteHeather Lawrence, did right by taking the opportunity, to offer corrective criticism to her classmate, in a private peer-to-peer moment.
Heather Lawrence, over-stepped her bounds, by including the hijab in her point, as it is a religious item. But, heather is a child in a learning environment, not in a prison for punishment.
Could Heather Lawrence, have handled the situation better, of course, but she herself is in a learning phase of her life development. Students should discuss peer issues with school counselors. The class teacher is responsible for correcting students, and guiding them toward adulthood.
Did the school staff overreact? Yes. Heather Lawrence, did not deserve a suspension, from learning. Heather Lawrence, needed her school district to provide equal education to all students, without regards to disability, gender, national origin, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. The situation went wrong, from the moment that first teacher observed Heather, reprimanding a classmate. The school saw a disciplinary moment, not a valuable moment where students could learn how to be American citizens.
Bottom line
The goal of the school is to teach all students equally.
I feel the schools staffs and students, need written guides on goals, purpose, acceptable dress and behavior, and how to handle questionable situations.
Last Questions:
Was the Muslim student corrected in her participation in the Pledge of Allegiance?
Since Heather Lawrence, has paid an unjust debt of losing five days of classroom instruction, what has the school done to validate their actions?