Parents in a Vermont school district are voicing their anger after learning that their children have been barred from reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. The controversy erupted at Shaftsbury Elementary School, where concerned parents staged a protest demanding answers for what they see as a move against a cherished patriotic tradition. The district’s decision has left many parents feeling disrespected, with some even drawing parallels to broader cultural battles over American values in schools.
In response to the protest, the school district called in local law enforcement to maintain order, further intensifying tensions between the community and school officials. Parents, many of whom are veterans or have family ties to the military, were particularly vocal about their frustration, arguing that the ban on the Pledge of Allegiance is an affront to their sense of patriotism and duty.
Victor Harwood, a Navy veteran and parent, was among the first to express his dismay publicly. Speaking to the Bennington Banner, Harwood made an emotional appeal, citing the sacrifices made by members of the military to protect American freedoms, including the right to honor the flag.
“I think it’s complete disrespect as an American to not want to say the Pledge of Allegiance,” Harwood said. “I was brought up to respect the flag. I put my life on the line, like a bunch of these other folks, and they wrote a check too…up to and including their lives. And if people don’t respect the flag, they’re not respecting us at all.”
Harwood’s words struck a chord with many other parents and community members who believe the pledge is an important part of instilling values like respect and national pride in young children.
Michael Gardner, another parent, told the Vermont Digger that the decision to halt the pledge was comparable to censorship, suggesting that it was akin to banning books. “In my mind, this isn’t really any different than banning books,” Gardner said, questioning why the school had not consulted with parents before making such a significant change.
Faced with growing backlash, Superintendent James Culkeen defended the district’s decision and sought to clarify the situation. Culkeen emphasized that the directive regarding the Pledge of Allegiance was not a district-wide ban but rather a policy that allowed individual school principals to decide whether or not to include the pledge in their daily routines.
According to Culkeen, the decision to leave the matter up to school principals was made to give local leaders the flexibility to assess what was best for their students and communities. “Individual principals have been empowered to decide if the Pledge of Allegiance would be recited in the individual buildings,” Culkeen explained, refuting claims that the district had imposed an outright ban.
However, this response did little to quell the frustrations of parents, many of whom felt the lack of communication and transparency from the district was a disservice to the community.
The controversy over the Pledge of Allegiance at Shaftsbury Elementary has sparked a larger debate about the role of patriotism and civic education in schools. For many parents, the pledge is not just a routine recitation, but a key element in teaching children about the values of freedom, unity, and respect for the nation’s history.
For critics, the decision to sideline the Pledge of Allegiance is emblematic of a broader push to remove traditional symbols of American patriotism from schools, a trend they attribute to the influence of progressive or “Marxist” ideologies in education. Many parents feel that these decisions are part of a larger cultural battle over the future of the country’s schools and the values they impart to the next generation.
Conservative commentators have seized on the Shaftsbury incident as a flashpoint in the ongoing struggle to maintain what they see as core American values in the face of growing progressive influence. Some have urged parents to become more involved in their local school boards and decision-making processes to ensure that patriotic traditions, like the Pledge of Allegiance, are upheld.
As the debate continues to unfold, it’s clear that the issue has left the Shaftsbury community divided. On one side are parents and veterans who feel that removing the pledge undermines their children’s education and disrespects the sacrifices of those who have served the country. On the other side are those who believe that the decision to recite the pledge should be left to local school officials or even individual students, particularly in a diverse society where not all families may share the same views on national symbols.
For now, the district has not indicated whether it will revisit its policy on the Pledge of Allegiance. But for parents like Harwood and Gardner, the fight is far from over. They hope to see a more open dialogue between the school district and the community moving forward, with decisions about the pledge and other traditions being made in a way that respects the views of all parents.
As the nation grapples with questions about the future of civic education, the battle over the Pledge of Allegiance at Shaftsbury Elementary School may just be a preview of broader cultural conflicts to come.