South Carolina School Sued After Student Says Teacher Assaulted Her For Refusing To Say Pledge Of Allegiance

Columbia’s The State reports:

A 15-year-old student at River Bluff High School says she was physically assaulted by a teacher for refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Now her parents are suing Lexington School District One, Superintendent Gerrita Postlewait, River Bluff Principal Jacob Smith, River Bluff teacher Nicole Livingston and the S.C. Department of Education on her behalf.

On Nov. 29, 2022, Marissa Barnwell, a Black honor roll student, was walking in the hallway on her way to class when the Pledge of Allegiance began to play over the intercom, according a federal lawsuit filed Feb. 13. Barnwell allegedly refrained, in a “non-disruptive manner,” to acknowledge the pledge as she walked into her classroom.

Livingston began yelling and demanded that Barnwell stop to acknowledge the pledge, then physically assaulted her by pushing her on a wall, according to the lawsuit. Livingston then escorted her to the principal’s office to be punished.

Read the full article. Video of the incident is below.

The student was “extremely upset and emotionally disturbed,” according to the lawsuit. https://t.co/vQPZ1LcX2o

— Rock Hill Herald (@RHHerald) March 10, 2023

A South Carolina high school teacher allegedly physically assaulted a student after the teenager refused to recite the pledge of allegiance, her family’s lawsuit claims. https://t.co/ONzBcsMULU

— NBC News (@NBCNews) March 10, 2023