Danielle Khalaf, Arab American 8th grade student refusing to stand for Pledge Of Allegiance is told by her teacher, Cari Soranno ‘to go back to your own country’ as calls are now made for the teacher to be fired.
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An Arab American 8th grade student refusing to stand for the Pledge Of Allegiance as it played over loud speakers during school has alleged her teacher telling her to ‘go back to your country.’
Danielle Khalaf, 14, a student at East Middle School in Plymouth, Michigan, said that she did not want to stand on January 10 because of ‘what’s happening in Palestine.’
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‘After the Pledge was over the teacher addressed the class and said that anyone that was sitting down was being very disrespectful to soldiers, to America,’ Khalaf told 7 News Detroit.
The teenager said that she went to speak to her teacher, Cari Soranno, after class to explain her reasons only to allegedly be told: ‘Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don’t like it, you should go back to [your] country.’
‘I was sobbing, and I ran out of the room crying,’ Khalaf told the outlet.
The Independent has contacted Plymouth-Canton Community Schools for comment.
Khalaf and her father, Jacob Khalaf, joined a press conference given by the Arab American Civil Rights League (AACRL) about the incident Thursday.
‘As a father, it was heartbreaking to see my daughter come home in tears because of what she had to deal with in school,’ the parent said.
‘Danielle was exercising her constitutional right when she chose to remain seated during the Pledge of Allegiance. Instead of respecting her decision, the teacher humiliated her in front of her classmates and peers.
‘And made a deeply offensive comment, essentially telling my daughter that she does not belong to this country. My daughter, an American citizen, being told she does not belong to this country.’
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The organization said it was demanding action after the 8th grader was ‘publicly humiliated in class for exercising her constitutional right to remain seated’ during the Pledge.
‘What happened to Danielle is a failure of the system to protect our children. Educators should uplift, not humiliate students,’ said Nabih Ayd, the organization’s founder.
In a statement to 7 News, the school said it had taken ‘appropriate action’ but added it could not share specific details about the teacher.
‘We want to be clear that discrimination in any form is not tolerated by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools and is taken very seriously,’ the statement said.
‘The district became aware of this incident after it occurred. As with all complaints, an investigation was conducted, and appropriate action was taken in alignment with district policies and procedures. Because this is a personnel matter, we are unable to share specific details regarding the employee involved.’
It added that ‘restorative practices’ between Khalaf and the teacher had been facilitated.
The educator has since admitted to the 8th grader’s claims, with the father saying his daughter has since been switched to another class.
Nevertheless, the parent has demanded the school take further action, including firing Cari Soranno.
‘Their only solution was to put my daughter in a different class as opposed to doing anything with the teacher; they wouldn’t tell us what type of disciplinary action, if any, was taken,’ he said. ‘I think the teacher needs to be removed.’
It remained unclear what censures, if any, Soranno, has been subjected to.
As of Sunday, Ms. Soranno’s LinkedIn page appeared to be deactivated.
