LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – The ACLU of Michigan filed a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of Danielle Khalaf, a 14-year-old Palestinian-American student at East Middle School, who, after refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, claimed her teacher “admonished and publicly humiliated” her.
The Arab Americans Civil Rights League joined the ACLU in representing Khalaf and suing the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools District and Khalaf’s teacher, Carissa Soranno.
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According to the lawsuit, Khalaf “decided to quietly and without disturbing her class, remain seated during the class recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance” on three separate occasions in January. She was, and still remains “highly disturbed by the thousands of deaths in Palestine that were caused by the Israeli Defense Forces.”
Khalaf believed the deaths of those Palestinians were “financially supported, and either implicitly or expressly supported, by the U.S. government,” according to court documents. Consequently, due to her political beliefs, she declined to stand or recite the Pledge.
The ACLU of Michigan along with the Arab Americans Civil Rights League said the school district was “aware of the teacher’s actions and failed to act in ways that would protect” Khalaf’s rights. Thus, these legal groups are suing the school district and Khalaf’s teacher for violating her First Amendment rights and state law prohibiting the school from forcing a student to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Plymouth-Canton Community Schools Statement.
In a statement to 7 News Detroit, Plymouth-Canton Community Schools said the “safety and well-being of our students and staff remain our top priority. We want to be clear that discrimination in any form is not tolerated by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools and is taken very seriously.”
“The district became aware of this incident after it occurred,” the statement said. “As with all complaints, an investigation was conducted, and appropriate action was taken in alignment with district policies and procedures.”
The district said it “facilitated restorative practices between the teacher and students to address any harm and foster understanding” to support those affected.
“Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don’t like it, you should go back to your country.”
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The lawsuit said Khalaf’s teacher told her: “Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don’t like it, you should go back to your country.”
The Plymouth-Canton Community Schools said it is unable to share specific details about the teacher involved due to the personal nature of the case.
In a press release, the ACLU of Michigan said Khalaf suffered “extensive emotional and social injuries. These include, among other things, inability to sleep, recurring nightmares, adoption of a more guarded demeanor, and high levels of stress.”
“It crushed me. It broke me,” Khalaf said at a press conference. “I felt so unwelcome.”