A Tracy, California high school student spoke out last week after getting detention and a lowered score for not saying "under God" during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Derek Giardina, 17, was assigned to perform the school's morning announcements for a Speech class, and did not read the script. He believes he is being unfairly punished.
"There's something disciplinary happening because of my religious beliefs," Giardina, who is agnostic, told CBS Sacramento.
The Speech teacher requires each student to read the Pledge of Allegiance during morning announcements 12 times.
"Personally I wouldn't say the pledge at all, because I'm not necessarily very patriotic, and I'm not religious," the teen added.
Giardina obliged two times, and read the Pledge as directed. The third time, however, he purposely skipped the words "under God." He soon discovered his grade had been lowered.
"I think I have a low C now, from doing other speeches, but it is a very large point value," he explained.
The student was warned that further departures from the script would result in disciplinary action, but decided to skip "under God" a fourth time. His punishment was detention – which a Tracy Unified School District spokesman called appropriate.
"A public forum where you're going to represent the school is not a place where you can voice a controversial issue and force that on other people," Sam Strube said.
Strube also explained that Giardina could have chosen an alternate assignment.
"Students are given that choice, and so if you're representing the school and you're reading the announcements to the class, you can be graded on how well you read the announcements," he said.
Giardina admitted there was an alternate assignment, but said it required more work.
Although he is no longer allowed to read the announcements, the budding activist said he will continue to protest the district's stance.
"I don't want someone else to have to fight for this; this should be unnecessary," he said.
