A New York school issued an apology this week after the Pledge of Allegiance was recited over the intercom in Arabic.
The student body president at Pine Bush High School consented to having the words to the pledge read in Arabic, prompting the school to respond to the ensuing backlash.
"We sincerely apologise for having the Pledge of Allegiance recited this morning in the high school in a language other than English," a statement issued on Wednesday read.
"In our school district the Pledge of Allegiance will only be recited in English as recommended by the Commissioner of Education."
Student president Andrew Zink confirmed that he let a student read the Pledge in Arabic, and said it was "the right thing to do."
"To everyone who disagrees with my decisions, I respect your right to do so and hope we can have a productive conversation," he tweeted.
Zink said that in the context of "National Foreign Language Week," it was acceptable for the change to be made. School Superintendent Joan Carbone told the Times Herald-Record that some Jewish parents and families who lost loved ones in the War on Terror disagreed.
"I think it should be said in English," student Alex Krug told TWCNews.com. "It is foreign language week but we don't even offer Arabic in Pine Bush High School."
The debate has spilled onto social media, where people in support of and in opposition to Zink's decision have shared their opinions. The student president has retweeted many of the messages that defend his choice.
"It looks like it's fallen to you to educate a lot of people about the beauty of language, culture & tolerance," one supporter wrote. "Keep it up!"
