CANTON (WWJ) — The family of an eighth-grade Wayne County girl is alleging she was racially discriminated against by a teacher at her school because she did not stand for the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Arab American Civil Rights League held a press conference Thursday, announcing Danielle Khalaf’s family will be filing a complaint with the Michigan Department of Civil Rights.
The alleged incident happened on Jan. 10 at East Middle School, part of the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools District.
The ACRL says Khalaf was “subjected to humiliation and offensive remarks from her teacher after exercising her constitutional right to remain seated during the Pledge of Allegiance.”
The eighth grader said at Thursday’s press conference she did not stand for the Pledge because she wanted to protest for her family in Palestine.
The teen said her teacher — who has not been publicly identified — told her to “go back to your country” and called her disrespectful since she “enjoys the freedoms of this country.”
“It crushed me, it broke me,” Khalaf said. “I felt so unwelcome, I felt uncomfortable and all I wanted to do was protest in some way.”
“Instead of fostering an environment of respect, the teacher allegedly dismissed her concerns and 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.’” a release from the ACRL said.
The family has filed complaints with the school district, but the district’s response “has been inadequate,” according to the ACRL.
The school district released the following statement on Thursday:
“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. P-CCS remains committed to fostering an environment where all students, staff, and community members feel safe, respected, and valued.”
“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.”
“To support those affected, the district facilitated restorative practices between the teacher and students to address any harm and foster understanding.”
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