LORAIN, Ohio — Lorain City Schools has decided the Pledge of Allegiance will be recited at the high school.
The school began reciting it towards the end of last school year. The district made the decision for it to be recited every Monday.
School officials said the decision also made clear that any teacher, student or classroom as a whole, would never be censored from expressing their convictions to saying the Pledge.
The district released the following statement:
As a district, Lorain City Schools has always, and will continue to, respect the liberties of its 14 buildings to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
As it was not standard practice at the high school level to recite the Pledge, a collective decision was made near the end of the 2018-19 school year to begin doing so.
This school year, Executive Director Rae Bastock—through the input of others within the high school— collectively agreed to recite the Pledge, as a school, on Mondays.
This decision also made clear that any teacher, scholar, or classroom as a whole, would never be censored from expressing their convictions, in regards to saying the Pledge, at any time, or on any other day of the week.
A decision the district believes falls in line with the practices of many other school districts within Lorain County.
Recent concerns raised due to this decision has brought to light the necessity for a much larger discussion, and the high school is committed to listening to a broader audience in regards to the respect of personal freedoms and individual rights to say the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Lorain City School District believes each and every person under its educational umbrella deserves to have their voices heard, and their personal beliefs respected, and will continue working to instill this philosophy at all grade levels.
The Pledge was already being recited at 14 other buildings in the school district. It was not standard practice at the high school, according to school officials.
On Friday, local groups and veterans protested outside of the high school, reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.
— Meg Shaw (@MegDShaw) September 27, 2019
