Overview
- ACLU of Michigan and the Arab American Civil Rights League announced Thursday that Plymouth-Canton Community Schools settled the 2025 federal lawsuit brought for a 14-year-old who remained seated during the Pledge of Allegiance.
- The agreement commits the district to provide diversity, sensitivity and First Amendment training for leaders and staff across the system.
- The district will not discipline the student for declining to stand, will remove any record suggesting misconduct, and will offer counseling if needed.
- The case stemmed from January 2025 incidents the student reported at East Middle School, with one outlet citing West Middle School, after a teacher allegedly reprimanded her and said she should go back to her country.
- District officials said they investigated at the time and placed the teacher on leave, and the settlement highlights long-standing Supreme Court precedent that students cannot be forced to recite or stand for the Pledge.