A Palestinian American student in Michigan is suing a middle school teacher and Plymouth-Canton Community Schools, claiming in federal court that the educator violated the student’s First Amendment right by attempting to force the student to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
The East Middle School teacher, Carissa Soranno, according to the lawsuit, allegedly told the student, “Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don’t like it, you should go back to your country.”
The student, 14, is referred to as D.K. in the suit and is represented in the claim in U.S. District Court in Detroit by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Michigan and Arab American Civil Rights League. The student did not want to stand for the pledge because she believes the U.S. government has supported Israel in the Israel-Hamas war that has devastated Gaza and left thousands dead, according to the claim.
The suit, filed June 25, asks for a judgment that finds the educator’s actions unconstitutional and awards damages, claiming Soranno’s actions inflicted emotional distress on the student. A spokesperson for Plymouth-Canton Community Schools did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network. Soranno did not answer a voicemail left by a reporter at a phone number associated with her name.
“The right to freely speak — or not speak — is a form of protest that is fundamental to a well-functioning democracy — even when its exercise creates controversy or makes others uncomfortable,” wrote Bonitsu Kitaba, interim legal director for the ACLU of Michigan, in a news release.
According to the suit, Soranno asked her class on Jan. 6 to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance. D.K. refused to stand, sitting quietly during the recitation. Soranno told the student the action was disrespectful to the U.S. military and the flag.
The district admonished Soranno for her actions, according to the suit, sending a corrective action notice that read, “During the week of 1/6 – 1/10/2025, you made multiple comments expressing your beliefs as to why students should stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. … This is a direct violation of what was discussed at the staff meeting dated January 6, 2025.”
But, the claim states that the discussion at the Jan. 6 staff meeting was not enough. On Jan. 9, Soranno urged D.K. to stand and then told her she was being disrespectful and should be ashamed of herself, according to the suit.
D.K. has suffered since these incidents: She struggles to sleep, she has been more stressed and is more guarded, according to the suit. Academically, she has slid.
Nabih Ayad, an attorney with the Arab American Civil Rights League, wrote in a statement that it is “disturbing” a teacher would “call the student out for simply exercising her constitutional right not to partake in the Pledge of Allegiance as a sign of protest.”
The Pledge’s place in school — and students’ right to refuse — has long been the source of controversy. The Supreme Court of the United States ruled in 1943 that compelling public school students to say the pledge was unconstitutional.
