A high school student says she has been harassed by teachers, sent to the principal's office and faces suspension for refusing to stand and recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Enidris Siurano RodrÃguez, a sophomore at Damascus High School in Montgomery County, Maryland, has refused to participate in the daily pledge since she was in seventh grade because of the federal government's policies toward her native Puerto Rico.
Now the American Civil Liberties Union has gotten involved and filed a complaint against the school, saying it is Enidris' right to sit in silence during the pledge.
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Defenders: The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a complaint with the school, saying that teachers cannot force a student to recite the pledge
Supporter: Ricky ~Martin was one of the Puerto Rican stars who spoke out in support of Enidris
'The law is crystal clear that a public school cannot embarrass or harass a student for maintaining a respectful silence during the Pledge of Allegiance. What is not clear is why teachers and school officials in Montgomery County have repeatedly violated students' rights by seeking to compel recitation of the Pledge,' David Rocah, an attorney for the ACLU of Maryland, said.
Enidris, 15, has lived in the Washington DC area since she was three, but was born in Puerto Rico.
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Puerto Ricans are U.S. citizens, but because the island is a territory, they are not allowed to elect voting members of Congress. The federal government oversees the territory, though an elected governor runs the island of 3.6million.
'I did it when I began to understand the current political situation of Puerto Rico, which I do not like,' Enidris El Nuevo DÃa, a Puerto Rican newspaper.
Video: Student refuses to stand and recite Pledge of Allegiance
Student refuses Pledge of Allegiance
'I do not agree with the way the United States treats Puerto Rico... I think Puerto Rico has an undemocratic situation, I dislike the idea that a government so far (from the island) tells us what we can and cannot do.'
The Pledge of Allegiance is recited every morning at Damascus High School and teachers began to question her when she didn't stand and say the words along with her classmates.
She says teachers have pulled her out of class and sent her to the principal's office and told her she can't attend class if she continues to sit during the pledge.
The US Supreme Court ruled in 1943 that school children cannot be forced to recite the pledge
Her campaign has gotten the notice of some famous Puerto Ricans.
Ricky Martin tweeted: 'The right to free speech also includes the right not to speak. Too often this is forgotten" #SolidarioConEnidris.'
René Perez, of the band Calle 13, also sent out a tweet supporting her.
The school district says its policy is clear that students are not required to stand during the pledge.
Maryland law specifically states that students can opt out of pledging allegiance.