Mom says 6-year-old son 'silenced' after he knelt for the Pledge of Allegiance

WESLEY CHAPEL (FL) — Eugenia McDowell got the text message late Monday evening, while cooking for her family.

Her youngest son, a 6-year-old first grader at Wiregrass Elementary School in Pasco County, had taken a knee that morning as his class recited the Pledge of Allegiance. It wasn’t something planned — the boy never told his parents he might do so — but in their household, it wasn’t completely out-of-the-blue, either.

The child’s two older brothers had dropped to their knees a year ago during the national anthem at their high school football game. He and his family avidly follow football, where the topic of silent protest mushroomed over the weekend after President Donald Trump’s pronouncements on the subject. And they regularly watch and discuss the news, including stories about racial justice.

What bothered McDowell, an operations manager who moved to the area three years ago, was the teacher’s response, which she considered biased, condescending and on the verge of threatening.

http://www.tampabay.com/blogs/gradebook/mom-says-her-6-year-old-son-is-silenced-by-a-teacher-after-he-kneels-for/2339006