Mom: Principal forced my son to stand for Pledge of Allegiance
GULFPORT, Miss. -- A Mississippi mother says her son’s principal forced him to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, threatening him with punishment if he didn’t comply.
The Sun Herald reports the ninth-grader’s mother says West Harrison High School principal Dana Trochessett threatened her son with demerits and suspension if he didn’t stand for the pledge in Gulfport. She says Trochessett also questioned the boy about being a Jehovah’s Witness.
The mother says her son hasn’t stood for the pledge since fourth grade. She met Monday with the Harrison County School Board.
Superintendent Roy Gill says the district doesn’t have any policy that forces a student to stand during the pledge. He says the matter was resolved and school officials could have done a better job handling the situation.
Trochessett wouldn’t comment on the incident.