A Texas high school sophomore was suspended for refusing to stand up during a Pledge of Allegiance recitation.
15-year old Mason Michalec refused to stand up during the Pledge for most of the school year, but received a two-day in-school suspension on Wednesday when a different teacher noticed he was sitting down.
"And she told me, 'This is my classroom. This is the principal's request. You're going to stand,'" Michalec told KHOU Houston. "And I still didn't stand and she said she was going to write me up."
The Needville High School student said he is protesting the government's "big brother" activities.
"I'm really tired of our government taking advantage of us," the teen said.
"I don't agree with the NSA spying on us. And I don't agree with any of those Internet laws."
Principal Richard Janacek also allegedly told the Needville High School student that he will continue to receive suspensions every time he sits down during the Pledge of Allegiance.
"I'm angry and frustrated and annoyed that they would try to write me up for something I have the right to do," Michalec said.
Needville residents said that although the student may have the right to remain seated during the Pledge, what he is doing is wrong.
"I think he's being disrespectful to the flag and those folks who gave their lives for him to have his opinion," David McDonald told KHOU.
"The soldiers are out there, they're doing their job and he should stand up," Jo Castillo added.
In Needville, a small town outside of Houston, KHOU only spoke to one resident that defended Michalec's choice.
"I'm a veteran, I'm not real big on flag-burning or anything like that, but this country is a free country and we're free to do what we want," Dean Reese told KHOU.
"The kid's well-spoken and he's well-informed," he continued. "It's not like he's ignorant, he's not doing it to make people mad. He's doing it because of his personal beliefs."
Needville Independent School District Superintendent Curtis Rhodes could not be reached for comment, and Principal Janacek told KHOU that he couldn't discuss the situation.
