A school district in the state of Maine has changed its tune after a lawsuit was filed by a father-son team over a month ago, claiming it didn’t allow high school students to have the opportunity of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in classrooms. Christopher Hickey filed the suit on behalf of his 10th-grade son, Clayton.
The pair alleged that the Falmouth School Department in southern Maine was violating a long-standing district policy and state statute that required all students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance every day. The lawsuit goes on to say that the pledge was something that took place with regular occurrence in both the district’s elementary and middle schools, while students at the high school level did not take part in the morning ritual for almost two years.
School district leaders spoke with Fox News, saying that families are “encouraged” to ask questions and raise concerns about the district’s policies, going on to say that the Pledge of Allegiance is an option for students attending Falmouth High School. “At Falmouth High School, students are welcome to say the Pledge of Allegiance if they choose,” Falmouth Schools Superintendent Steve Nolan said in the statement.
“Now that this matter has been brought to our attention, we have taken steps to provide an opportunity during the school day for students who wish to say the Pledge of Allegiance to do so during a designated time,” Nolan continued, according to Fox. The report quotes Statute 4010, which says, “A school administrative unit shall allow every student enrolled in the school administrative unit the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at some point during a school day in which students are required to attend.”
“A school administrative unit may not require a student to recite the Pledge of Allegiance,” it continues. The school’s policy states that the American flag is to be flown on school grounds on school days, along with having it visible in every classroom. The policy then states that every student must be given the opportunity to say the pledge.
“Furthermore, an opportunity must be provided, during school days for which students are required to attend, for students and staff to recite the Pledge of Allegiance,” the policy said. Hickey’s legal representative, Jack Baldacci, put out a statement of his own, saying, “The district had ample time to correct this longstanding omission on its own and failed to do so.”
“We are glad the district is now complying, and we hope this marks the beginning of a renewed commitment to the robust civic education every student deserves,” Baldacci added. According to a survey from 2024 from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 70% of registered voters were unable to pass a basic civics test, which included questions which asked for the number of Supreme Court justices who serve on the bench.
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When Fox News reached out to Baldacci for a comment concerning the ongoing lawsuit, they did not receive an immediate response. The popular right-of-center news outlet also reached out to the Department of Education to discuss the ongoing lawsuit, but as of this writing, the publication had not received a response to its request.
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