The 10th-grader said he hasn’t had an opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at school in the two years he’s been there. (DNY59 – iStock / Getty Images; inset: Sadeugra – iStock / Getty Images)
By Nick Givas March 16, 2026 at 2:14pm
A father in Maine has filed a lawsuit against his son’s school district, accusing them of failing to provide children an opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance during the school day.
The lawsuit, filed against the Falmouth School Department and Superintendent Steve Nolan, alleges that the district is violating Maine law, according to the Portland Press Herald.
The statute in question dates back to 2011 and is posted on the legislature’s official website.
“A school administrative unit shall allow every student enrolled in the school administrative unit the opportunity to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at some point during a school day in which students are required to attend,” the statute reads. “A school administrative unit may not require a student to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.”
The plaintiff, Christopher Hickey, reportedly filed the lawsuit on behalf of his son, Clayton, a 10th-grader who has attended Falmouth High School for two years.
WGME-TV cited an affidavit from Clayton stating that neither he nor his classmates were ever given a chance to recite the pledge during the school day.
In addition to the school providing an opportunity for all students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in a structured way, Hickey also wants a letter of apology from the Falmouth School Department.
The courts will likely have to determine what constitutes an “opportunity to recite the Pledge;” however, the lawsuit states that it has not been shared over the school’s intercom or led by teachers in the classroom, according to the Portland Press Herald.
Local Army veterans spoke with WGME-TV and said such expressions of patriotism are vital to a healthy nation.
A Maine high school faces a lawsuit for not giving students the chance to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.
Army veteran: “You should always do the Pledge… It’s part of being proud of our country.”pic.twitter.com/Mkq0232nTV
— Brandon Straka #WalkAway (@BrandonStraka) March 15, 2026
“Our students don’t get enough citizenship instruction. And that’s the least they can do, I think,” said Army veteran Chris Winne. “You know, it represents so much to not only veterans, but the entire community and our country. And so I don’t see any bad in it, only good.”
“I think you should always do the Pledge of Allegiance in the high school,” Falmouth Army veteran James Richardson added. “It’s what makes America America. That’s part of [taking] pride in our country.”
Nick Givas has been a reporter for The Daily Caller, Fox News, and served as Managing Editor of the Newsroom at Project Veritas. He’s also hosted three different podcasts, served as a Congressional Communications Director, and had his work featured in The Federalist, Daily Signal, New York Post, and Real Clear Politics.
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