Superintendent: 'Under God Not a Big Issue in Shrewsbury Schools'

This week, an atheist Acton couple brought to Massachusetts' Supreme Court a case to argue that the daily practice of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in schools is discriminatory, reported the Worcester Telegram and Gazette. 

The phrase "under God," they say, discriminates against atheists, and children should not be forced to say it. Lawyers for the family said that while the pledge is voluntary, it still discriminates by the very essence of the exercise. The lawyer for the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District said that the pledge isn't mandatory, and students can opt out, said the Telegram. 

Joseph Sawyer, superintendent of the Shrewsbury Public Schools, told Shrewsbury Patch, "I don't see this as a big issue in Shrewsbury.  The Pledge of Allegiance is recited in our schools each morning as part of morning exercises.  If a student opts out from reciting the pledge for religious or other reasons, that is respected."

The flag is required in public school classrooms in Massachusetts, and teachers are asked to lead the Pledge, but neither the students or the teachers must recite the pledge, said the Telegram, which added that the Acton case is one that stems from a suit filed in 2010. This family seeks to rule the reciting of the Pledge unconstitutional. 

What are your thoughts on reciting the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools? Is it unconstitutional? Have you ever had issues with it? Is it a nonissue? Share your thoughts in our comments section.