In an effort to celebrate National Foreign Language Week, the administrators of Pine Bush High School in upstate New York decided to allow the reading of the morning Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic. Reaction from the student body was immediate. Catcalls and angry denunciations amongst the students were prevalent.
School Superintendent was caught off guard by the students reaction. She described the recitation of the pledge as "something that was supposed to be good but turned out not to be." School Principal Aaron Hopmayer made an attempt to explain the context of the reading, then apologized to the students who took offense:
We sincerely apologize for having the Pledge of Allegiance recited this morning in the High School in a language other than English.
To honor National Foreign language Week, and in an effort to celebrate the many cultures and religions that make up this great country and our school district, the Foreign Language Department planned to read the Pledge of Allegiance and morning announcements in different languages this week. The intention was to promote the fact that those who speak a language other than English still pledge to salute this great country.
We sincerely apologize to any students, staff or community members who found this activity offensive. In our school district the Pledge of Allegiance will only be recited in English as recommended by the Commissioner of Education.
This announcement did little to calm the offended students, and students who supported the reading resented the apology. Of course, parents and guardians were weighing in also.
Maybe the administrators let an opportunity pass. The apology seems to have been offered only to quickly put the issue behind them.
More here:
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