6th Grader refuses to stand for pledge of allegiance, arrested for "disturbance"

[Fuzzy Bear]

This kid is a freedom fighter!

Though I will say that my sister actually did this once, publicly, in front of an audience and everything. She didn't receive any consequence for it. So thankfully, this isn't an epidemic or anything, though still very disturbing in this specific case.

Freedom Fighter my foot.  That being said, the Supreme Court long ago prohibited mandatory participation in the Pledge of Allegiance in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette.  

The issue isn't that the kid didn't stand for the flag.  The issue is that this kid, who likely had underlying emotional problems, was provoked needlessly by a teacher who didn't get it.  That, coupled with the utterly abysmal staff in Florida's Public Schools who are unprepared to deal with kids with problems.

[Fuzzy Bear]

The "Disturbing A School Function" statute in Florida is a catch-all, designed to criminalize acting-out behaviors in the classroom, as well as persons who become demonstratively vocal at school board meetings or in parent-teacher conferences.

Education officials are rather High and Mighty in Florida.  They really do act as God-Emperors to quell opposition to their dictates, especially when they are required to defend outrageous uses of their "authority".

I am the parent of a Special Needs child who, when he attended public school, was often not receiving what was required by his Individualized Education Plan (IEP).  A principal actually told me that he "had the power" to bar me from the school if I was going to be "rude" to his staff.  His idea of "rudeness" was reminding a teacher that my son's IEP plan was an entitlement, and not just something nice if it were convenient for the school to implement it. 

I could go on and on about this.  Educational bureareaucracies are the worst examples of arrogant exercising of governmental authority today for most ordinary people.