Texas Teenager Suing High School Over Being Told To Recite Mexican Pledge Of Allegiance

McAllen, TX – Texas teenager Brenda Brinsdon is suing her high school over a dispute sparked by being told to recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance. Brinsdon claims she was punished for refusing to recite the Mexican national anthem in pledge in Spanish class. The student filed a federal lawsuit against the Achieve Early College High School on Wednesday.

Last year students in the Texas intermediate Spanish class were reportedly told to recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance and national anthem as a part of a graded assignment. Each Achieve Early College High School student was reportedly instructed to stand in front of the class and recite the pledge to another nation. The assignment took place on Constitution Day.

During an interview with The Blaze, Brenda Brinsdon had this to say about her refusal to take part in the assignment:

“Reciting pledges to Mexico and being loyal to it has nothing to do with learning Spanish.”

The Texas high school Spanish teacher reportedly told Brinsdon to write an essay on the history of the Mexican revolution as an alternative assignment. The teenager who has been hailed by many for her patriotism, received a failing grade on the essay.

Once news of the assignment which required students to recite the pledge of allegiance to Mexico reached the media, Brenda Brinsdon was not allowed to return to the class, according to the federal lawsuit. Each day when time for Spanish class rolled around, the Texas teenager was reportedly made to sit in the school office. She ultimately failed the Spanish class.

Attorney Erin Mersino had this to say about the pledge of allegiance to Mexico lawsuit:

“The plaintiff has been punished for being a patriotic American. She has been punished for not pledging her loyalty to a different country which used to be determined to be treason, now a person is given an alternative assignment and a failing grade and is kicked out of class for doing so. She did the right thing by following her conscience and not doing what her teacher was compelling her to do by pledging her loyalty to a different country to which she is not loyal.”

The lawsuit stemming from the assignment to recite the Mexican pledge of allegiance names the McAllen Independent School District, teacher Reyna Santos, and principal Yvette Cavazos. The lawsuit claims that Brenda Brinsdon’s freedom of speech was violated and that she was not provided equal protection under the law.

The Achieve Early College High School has a policy which allows students to be exempt from saying the American pledge of allegiance.

Do you think Brenda Brinsdon’s lawsuit over the Mexican pledge of allegiance is justified?