OPINION (ETH) – A California school district is investigating a teacher after she posted a video admitting that she encouraged her students to pledge allegiance to a gay pride flag after she removed the American flag from her classroom.

Fox News stated: “Okay, so during the third period, we have announcements and they do the pledge of allegiance,” the teacher, identified as Kristin Pitzen of Newport Mesa School District in Orange County, said in a video posted to social media.



“I always tell my class, stand if you feel like it, don’t stand if you feel like it, say the words if you want, you don’t have to say the words.” “So, my class decided to stand but not say the words. Totally fine,” she continued in the now-viral video. According to the Daily Mail, The TikTok has since gone viral, sparking a backlash from many parents who were angry she was teaching children to ‘disrespect’ the American flag.

‘How can the words “for liberty and justice for all” bring such hate in people? How can anyone have (an) issue with those words?’ one user replied.  Some even questioned why she lives in America, calling on the school to fire her and parents to homeschool their kids.

While others praised her, even going as far to say they wished she taught their own children. In the controversial TikTok, Pitzen reveals that the Pledge of Allegiance is read during third-period announcements. She said she always tells her class: ‘Stand if you feel like it, don’t stand if you feel like it.

Say the words if you want, don’t have to say the words.’  ‘So my class decided to stand but not say the words – totally fine,’ she said. ‘Except for the fact that my room does not have a flag,’ Pitzen added. ‘It used to be there,’ she said in the video as she pivots the camera and points to the wall in the front of the classroom.  ‘But I took it down during Covid,’ she said, whispering that she did it ‘because it made me uncomfortable.