Who was being disrespectful? Student or teacher?

Question

Okay, so the teachers yelling at the students during the whole beginning of the national anthem. hes telling them he doesnt want to hear a sound. then he tells everyone to stand up. one kid stays sitting down. the teacher tells him to stand up. he doesnt stand, or say anything disrespectful to the teacher. the teacher pulles the chair out from underneath the kid, forcing him to stand up, and another kid got it on video. the kid who got it on video was suspended for 10 days for supposedley "violating the teachers constitutional rights". Whatever. Idont even stand during the national anthem, or even say the pledge of alligance.

so im being disrespectful for following my religion? Whatever.

Answer 1

The teacher was being disrespectful. If your religion does not wish to say the pledge because of the mentioning of god. That is perfectly fine. There should be no forcing of anything like that. Wheither you are supposidly called "not patriotic" whoever calls you that, has no respect for religion.

Answer 2

from my understanding of the law regarding this, you don't have to say the pledge, but they can require you to stand. It is not a constitutional right not to stand, only not to say it.

In regards to the video- maybe the teacher was wrong to pull the chair out, unfortunately if he or she was wrong, you'll never know it because its between the teacher and the principle, not any students. But the student was not allowed to video part of the class without the prior approval of the teacher- and then to try to use it against the teacher undermines the trust that every teacher has with every student.

Maybe this teacher doesn't work well with these students, maybe these students aren't working well in the class, at any rate- it's much more in YOUR best interest that the class goes well instead of the teachers. You're teacher already has a job, and will still have this job long after you leave, but you don't get the important skills and lessons being taught- you will be the one that suffers. You'll be the one begging to work at McDonalds just so you can eat each day- and it happens everyday everywhere- you're teacher cares about getting paid and living a normal life, not about the pledge, you should be the one caring about the pledge and your education because it will only effect YOU!

Answer 3

Before I give my answer, let me state that I spent 8 years in the United States Army before becoming a teacher. I was ready to give my life or take another's for our constitutional rights.

However, both were in the wrong.

According to West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette students are not required to recite or stand during the national anthem or pledge of allegiance, but are required to be respectful. Teachers may ask, but students are still not required to do so.

By the student ignoring the teacher, that's what it sounds like in your description of the incident, I would consider that rude behavior.

Also, the teacher, pulling a chair out from a student, created a potentially dangerous situation, should the student had fallen.

Now, where as you state you don't stand during the national anthem or pledge of allegiance, that's your problem and I won't argue with you over it here. Just remember, there are those of us who have lost friends, relatives and spilled our own blood for this country. You'll forgive us if it is an issue we feel strongly about.

Answer 4

If for religous reasons you don't stand for the plege of alligance or the national anthem then I believe that is your choice or perhaps your parents choice. I know people who for religous reasons did not participate in those things. If that was the case, as for different religous purposes you two kids did not stand then I think the teacher should not force that on you. Yes, we live in America but, we still have the right of our own religon and some religons believe that we should only honor god and not the country. As for the kid videotaping it, I don't see what is wrong with it, the school is probably upset because there is evidence that the teacher was doing something wrong. But it may have just been a miscommunication between everyone. But, if you two kids were doing it just to piss off the teacher, then that was disrespectful.

Answer 5

i have jehovahs witnesses who dont say the pledge. some sit and some stand for the PLEDGE
is it really against YOUR religion?

everyone stands for the national anthem- it couldnt be the first day for that student and teacher together.

yes there is no reason for a student to have a video camera of camera phone on during the national anthem.

instead of grAbbing the chair ..........woudl you prefere that teachers grab the student?

its not respectfull.........but obviously the teacher didnt warn the students that something would happen if they talk, dont stand up, or play during this event. some of the stuff could be avoided.....but a teacher cant let the students do whatever they want JUST to ignore the teacher with no religious reason to back it up

Answer 6

ok, well you can't videotape in a classroom without permission from all the students and teachers. so...the kid got punished for that, and no matter what he videotaped, it wouldn't be allowed as "evidence" because he was illegally videotaping.

now, you said you don't understand the anthem or say the pledge, you never said it was against your religion, and certainly someone who didn't agree for religious reasons would understand what they were choosing NOT to say. how else could they know it was against their religion?

the fact that the teacher was older....that IMPLIES disrespect by the student. no matter what an adult is doing, you need to respect them. i am NOT saying the teacher acted correctly, he certainly didn't. but from the sound of it...disrespect seems to be a recurrence in this classroom and my guess is the teacher had had enough. teachers don't often explode for no reason at all.

the person who sounds pretty disrespectful is you. you came on here to get an answer, but it sounds like you've already made up your mind, and what you were really looking for was reassurance...which you aren't going to get it. grow up.

and by the way, a student who doesn't stand, gives notice to the teacher at the beginning of the school year. THESE students deserve respect, because they are SERIOUS about their religious beliefs...not just lazy and screwing around.

Answer 7

The teacher wasn't so much disrespectful as out of line. Pulling the chair out from under the student isn't appropriate by any means. That student could have gotten hurt. Then what? The video taping is also wrong.

I expect my students to stand and show respect for our country and those who give their lives for it. I do not (and can not) make any student sing along or say the pledge, although I feel they should say the pledge. If a student in my class refused to stand, I'd address it privately later in the day with that student. I'd explain my reasoning and tell the student that it's my classroom and that's the expectation in my class. If he/she doesn't want to stand, he/she can be excused from class for the five min. it takes each morning.

Answer 8

There are quite a few problems in this situation.

1. The student should have a right to abstain from patriotic activities for religious reasons, as should you.

2. If in fact the student was quiet and was forcefully removed from his seat, the teacher was clearly in the wrong. He has no right to forcefully enter the student's space.

3. The third student has no business recording the goings on in a school without the express consent of those in the room. That is Board of Ed policy in most any district in the country. That really has not much to do with "violating the teachers constitutional rights."

I am sure there is a lot of gray area in this situation as in most classroom dealings. If the teacher feels this strongly about patriotic activities, I think it would be smart for him do teach respect and tolerance in his classroom, rather than force. He can start with a conversation about religious beliefs.

Answer 9

Although the US is a free country with free rights and freedom of speech I think this student was being disrespectful.
You should respect the laws and morals of the country you live in whether you were born there or not. If you do not respect them why are you living there? If I moved to the US I would be expected to stand during the national anthem and I would do it quite happily - even if I am not American. What I am trying to say is 'When in Rome'.........

Answer 10

Well, We do live in a free country, and that means freedom of religion, freedom of speech, and freedom of peaceful protest. So if the kid refused to stand because religious beliefs, or because of political reasons or protest, then he certainly has the right to stay seated, and the teacher should have never put hands on him. If he was refusing to stand just to be a clown, or a jerk, then student is in the wrong, but the teacher still handled it inappropriately. As for the other kid who video taped, I see no constitutional right violated. They were in a public place, and if you want the right to privacy, don't do things like that in public.