US school sued after teacher blasted protesting Palestinian student
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Danielle, a student in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district in Michigan, exercised her First Amendment right by opting out of the Pledge for three days in January.
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In this screengrab made from video provided by WXYZ-TV, Danielle Khalaf, who said she was humiliated by her teacher after declining to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance in protest of US support of "Israel" against Palestinians, appears at a news conference on Feb. 27, 2025, in Detroit. (WXYZ-TV via AP)
US news sources on Thursday reported that the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), in partnership with the Arab American Civil Rights League, has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Danielle Khalaf, a 14-year-old Palestinian-American student who was reportedly subjected to public humiliation and xenophobic remarks by a teacher after refusing to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, in protest against US complicity in "Israel's" war on Gaza.
Danielle, a student in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools district in Michigan, exercised her First Amendment right by opting out of the Pledge across three days in January in solidarity with Gaza.
Her protest provoked a hostile response from her teacher, who reportedly said, "Since you live in this country and enjoy its freedom, if you don't like it, you should go back to your country."
The lawsuit details how Danielle's peaceful dissent was met with intimidation and emotional harm, including anxiety, nightmares, and deteriorating friendships. Her experience echoes the escalating harassment faced by Palestinians and their allies across the US, as anti-war voices, especially from Arab and Muslim communities, face disproportionate scrutiny and retaliation.
"This lawsuit is about more than one student, it's about standing up to the systemic silencing of Palestinian voices in American public institutions," said one advocate familiar with the case, reflecting widespread concern in Arab-American circles over the climate of hostility created by uncritical US backing of Israeli policies.
ACLU attorney Mark Fancher commended Danielle's moral stance, "We can only marvel at the conviction and incredible courage it took for her to follow her conscience and her heart."
Silencing dissent
The incident comes as "Israel's" military campaign in Gaza has resulted in the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including thousands of children, drawing international condemnation and mass mobilizations across the world. In the US, however, many Palestinian Americans and pro-Palestine students face backlash for speaking out, whether in classrooms, universities, or protest spaces.
"It was traumatizing, it hurt, and I know she could do that to other people," Danielle said at a February press conference, referring to her teacher's comments.
The school district claimed that "appropriate action" had been taken but offered no further clarification. "Discrimination in any form is not tolerated by Plymouth-Canton Community Schools and is taken very seriously," it said. Despite this assertion, critics argue that institutional inaction is common when anti-Palestinian racism is involved, and that educators and administrators must be held accountable.
Read more: FBI, police storm homes of pro-Palestine activists in US Michigan
Michigan is home to one of the largest Arab-American communities in the US, with over 300,000 residents of Middle Eastern or North African descent. Danielle's case comes in light of heightened racism, repression, and the policing of solidarity with Palestine, especially in a state where Arab-American students are growing increasingly vocal about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza.
The lawsuit seeks financial compensation and stands as a legal and moral challenge to the idea that Palestinian identity and dissent are unwelcome in US public life.
