A Teacher Who Told Her Students To Salute Gay Pride Flag Has Been Removed From Her Classroom

A California schoolteacher posted on social media a video of herself instructing students to pledge allegiance to the gay pride flag.

The video went viral, and put conservatives in an uproar over what is being taught to children.

After perhaps an unexpected level of notoriety, that teacher has since been removed from the classroom.

Watch her viral video:

Teacher Made Pledge of Allegiance Optional

The teacher, Kristin Pitzen, posted a video on TikTok where she said she got rid of the American flag in her Orange County, California classroom because it made her feel “uncomfortable.”

She is now on administrative leave.

Annette Franco, a spokesperson for the Newport Mesa Unified School District, said, “We are aware that one of our teachers posted a video on their personal social media that caused alarm and concern related to saluting the American flag.”
 
“Showing respect for our nation’s flag is an important value that we instill in our students and an expectation of our employees,” Franco said.

She added, “I assure you, we take matters like this seriously and will be taking action to address it.”

“The teacher is no longer in the classroom,” she said. “We follow due process and our investigation continues.”

“The school district’s policy requires that each school conducts daily patriotic exercises, including the pledge of allegiance, with an understanding that the pledge is an expression of patriotism and pride in the U.S.,” KTLA reported.

The news outlet added, “But individuals may choose not to participate in the flag salute for personal reasons.”

Pitzen deleted her TikTok account, but the @libsoftiktok Twitter account saved the controversial video and posted.

It went viral.

To date, it has been viewed over 1.6 million times, and the tweet has nearly 6,000 Likes.

In the video, Pitzen says, “OK, so during third period, we have announcements and they do the Pledge of Allegiance.”

“I always tell my class, ‘Stand if you feel like it, don’t stand if you feel like it, say the words if you want, don’t have to say the words,” she said.

Pitzen: ‘My Room Does Not Have A Flag’

“So, my class decided to stand but not say the words. Totally fine,” Pitzen continued. “Except for the fact that my room does not have a flag.”

Pitzen said she removed the American flag from her classroom because “it made me uncomfortable.”

Pitzen said, “I packed it away and I don’t know where, and I haven’t found it yet.”

A student asked what they should do during the Pledge of Allegiance,. Pitzen replied, “In the meantime, I tell this kid, ‘We do have a flag in the class that you can pledge your allegiance to.’ And he like, looks around and goes, ‘Oh, that one?'”

She pointed at the gay pride flag in her classroom.