A viral video released Tuesday appears to capture a Bluffton teacher refusing to let students use the bathroom unless they stood for the Pledge of Allegiance first. “So if we don’t stand for the pledge, we cannot use the restroom?” one student asked. “Right,” the teacher responded. When students pushed back, the teacher continued to dismiss their concerns. He even openly mocked them when they sought to advocate for themselves. Even a student saying they have diabetes didn’t seem to matter. Whether or not South Carolina parents support the Pledge themselves, they probably don’t want it standing between their kids and the bathroom.
South Carolina Teacher Denies Students the Bathroom
Schools already face teacher shortages. It isn’t helping anyone when the teachers we have are bullies and fascists. There’s no legal requirement that students stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. There are also plenty of people who, for a variety of reasons, can’t or won’t stand for the Pledge. Demanding people stand for the Pledge before using the restroom isn’t acceptable, even if there weren’t health concerns. The fact that it’s a Bluffton teacher causing this bathroom issue? That’s even worse.
A TikTok by skylightluzi about the incident received over 23k likes and numerous supportive comments. One commenter urged the students to ignore the teacher’s instructions, saying, “he cannot physically stop you. dont argue. Just go. [Sic]” Another commenter called out the insidious nature of the teacher’s demand for blind obedience, saying,
THIS IS INDOCTRINATION NOT TEACHING. The pledge of allegiance is NOT compulsory by law.
Trump’s fascism and xenophobia have inspired many to follow in his footsteps. Whether this Bluffton teacher adheres to similar nationalist views or has other motives doesn’t matter. The important thing is ensuring students have reasonable bathroom access with accommodations as necessary. A teacher who can’t meet those basic requirements might be the one who needs to learn a lesson.
