Florida School Invites Parents to Exempt Their Children From the Pledge of Allegiance

A Florida school district is inviting parents to excuse their children from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

“I understand my rights as a parent and I request that my child, noted above, be excused from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. This request includes standing and placing his/her right hand over his/her heart,” said the text of the form sent to parents.

Micah Brien uploaded a picture of his niece’s form to Facebook and said, “My niece brought this home from school today…What is happening to our country?!?”

Brienen’s sister-in-law gave the form to her daughter, but not without writing some choice words for the school on the form, according to WGHP:

“This is the dumbest thing I have ever read and I am so ashamed of this.”

The post has been shared over 15,000 times.

Brienen followed up on his post a few days later asking his friends to vote against the superintendent of schools in the next election.

A 2008 federal court ruling from the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a student can’t be forced to state the pledge while others recite it and can, with a parent’s permission, be excused from reciting it.

In 2016, the state legislature voted through a bill that allows schools — but does not require schools — to notify parents of a legal right to exempt their children from reciting the pledge, according to The Miami Herald.