Teacher Mocks American Flag, Replaces It with Pride Flag – Forces Kids to Pledge Loyalty

Kristin Pitzen, a teacher from Orange County’s Newport Mesa School District, made a TikTok video joking about removing the American flag from her classroom because it made her feel “uncomfortable.”

Many parents became upset, believing that she was teaching students to disrespect the American flag. Instead of using the American flag, she suggested that her students pledge allegiance to the pride flag. Here’s why this caused a major backlash.

In the TikTok video, which Pitzen later deleted, she explained why she took down the American flag: “It made me uncomfortable.” She added, laughing, that she packed it away and couldn’t remember where she put it.

Pitzen described how she tells her students during the morning Pledge of Allegiance, “You can stand if you want, don’t stand if you don’t want, say the words if you want.” She laughed, saying that her class decided to stand but not say the words. However, without an American flag in the room, one student asked what they should look at while pledging.

She joked, “We do have a flag you can pledge your allegiance to,” and pointed to the pride flag on the wall.

**Pushing Pride**

Pitzen repeatedly showed her support for the LGBTQ community to her students. In another video, she displayed her pride month decorations with various flags. She expressed her love and support for LGBTQ students, saying, “I love you all – those who are out and those who aren’t. You’re appreciated and enough. I support you.”

**Community Outrage**

Many people were angry with Pitzen’s actions, seeing it as disrespectful to the American flag. The video spread quickly online, causing even more backlash.

One upset mother said, “We heard the school was missing flags, so we decided to help out and show our patriotism.” Soon after, parents filled the school’s lawn with American flags.

Michele Vaughn, whose son serves in the military, commented, “I’d like to teach her the importance of respecting the flag.”

Online, many criticized Pitzen’s actions, saying that the flag represents the freedom she enjoys today. One person wrote, “You should teach them about the people who fought for your freedom and happiness.”

Another added, “If she doesn’t respect our country’s flag, maybe she should live in Afghanistan.”

**Consequences**

After the video went viral in 2021, Pitzen was fired and is no longer teaching. The investigation into her actions is still ongoing. Pitzen has since deleted all her social media accounts.

@deletedvideos09Teacher mocks the American Flag and suggests to students they can say the Pledge of Allegiance to the pride flag♬ original sound – Deletedvideos09

The incident involving Kristin Pitzen has ignited a broader discussion on the responsibilities of educators in promoting an inclusive and respectful learning environment. Balancing the right to free speech with the need to show respect for national symbols has become a focal point in this debate. The Newport Mesa School District is now facing pressure to address concerns from both sides, and it remains to be seen if they will implement additional measures to ensure that classrooms reflect a respectful approach to both diversity and national values.