Recently, TMLC attorney, Erin Mersino, appeared on the Fox News program ‘On the Record’ with Greta Van Susteren to discuss TMLC’s representation of Brenda Brinsdon, a 15-year old Texas high school student punished for refusing to pledge her allegiance to Mexico and sing the Mexican national anthem. Brenda, who is half Mexican, told her teacher it was ‘un-American’ to pledge an oath to another country. Erin’s interview below followed TMLC’s announcement that it had filed a federal lawsuit on Brenda’s behalf.
Click here to view Erin Mersino‘On the Record’.
In September 2011, Brenda refused to recite the Mexican pledge during a Spanish 3 class at her high school, the Achieve Early College High School (AECHS) in McAllen, TX. Both Brenda’s Spanish teacher and the school principle tried to coerce Brenda into reciting the pledge. Over the next several days Brenda was required to sit in class and listen to student after student reciting the Mexican pledge. After refusing to recite the pledge, Brenda, who is fluent in Spanish, was given a failing grade on an alternate assignment.
On October 18, 2011 Brenda was called to the principal’s office. The principal explained to Brenda that since her decision not to pledge allegiance to Mexico garnered media attention she would be removed from the Spanish 3 class until the attention subsided. She spent the class hour in the school’s office, even though she requested to return to the classroom.
The longstanding Supreme Court decision, West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette, (1943), and the school district’s own policy prohibit a school from compelling students to recite the American Pledge of Allegiance. However, the School District ignored those rules when Brenda Brinsdon refused to recite the Mexican pledge.
TMLC is honored to defend this courageous high school student!
Please Click Here if you want to financially support Brenda’s lawsuit.