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Associated Press
FARGO, NORTH DAKOTA (AP) — The school board of North Dakota's most populous city made a decision Thursday to stop reciting the Pledge of Allegiance at its monthly meeting, and changed.
Seven of her nine members of the Fargo School Board, including four of her newcomers who took office in June, last week reversed previous board decrees. voted. months before the election. To member Seth Holden, who said the pledge does not align with the district's diversity and inclusion code, the new board does not include all faiths in the words "under God." Agreed.
North Dakota's Republican Governor Doug Burgum announced earlier this week that public schools and governing bodies will require people to recite it. Promoted a new law requiring that pledges be administered without Republican Rep. Pat Heinert, a retired county sheriff, has proposed sanctions on public commissions and commissions that do not require a patriotic oath.
Awkward emails and voicemails dominated Thursday's special meeting to review the vote. Nyamal Dey, a refugee fleeing war-torn Sudan, played a profane voicemail from a man who called her a slave, a racist and a Nazi. Several board members apologized to Day, the only black member of the board, for being the worst abused.
He said that to do so would be to give in to hatred. She paused for a few seconds before casting her only vote against to revive the pledge.
"We will not reward children and students in our school district for acting in this way," Day said. "But please know that this moment will pass. Let's get back to what we have been chosen to do: find solutions to teacher shortages, mental health issues, and student academic performance."
Fargo City spokesman Greg Schildberger said police were "currently investigating several reports related to threats against at least three board members." .
Director Greg Clark said an analysis of angry messages found that he received less than 20% of messages from outside of Fargo. He admitted that his vote to take back the pledge was directly influenced by people he did not represent. I hope you can forgive me because I truly believe that is in the best interest of our school," Clark said. ``To get the school year off to a successful start, the chaos and threats must end.''
``I also worry about what the future holds for this board. Because we have to be prepared to be more heated than usual about the decisions we make," he said. , "because there may be recognition of success."
At a special meeting attended by about 20 citizens, the public was not allowed to comment on him. A handful of people applauded after the vote. One of them, Vietnam veteran David Hulklow, apologized to Day after the meeting.
"What did she do to her...they need to click," said Hulkrow, who was walking with a cane and a cast on her left lower leg. "If I had been angry, they would have been put in prison. That is no excuse."
