EGYPT: Student leaders at a California college have created a furore by banning the pledge of allegiance at their meetings, saying they see no reason to publicly swear loyalty to God and the US government.
The move by Orange Coast College student trustees, the latest clash over patriotism and religion in American schools, has infuriated some of their classmates - prompting one young woman to loudly recite the pledge in front of the board on Wednesday night in defiance of the rule.
"America is the one thing I'm passionate about and I can't let them take that away from me," 18-year-old political science major Christine Zoldos said. "The fact that they have enough power to ban one of the most valued traditions in America is just horrible," Ms Zoldos said, adding she would attend every board meeting to salute the flag.
The move was led by three recently elected student trustees, who ran for office wearing revolutionary-style berets and saying they did not believe in publicly swearing an oath to the US flag and government at their school. One student trustee voted against the measure, which does not apply to other student groups or campus meetings.
The ban follows a 2002 ruling by a federal appeals court in San Francisco that said forcing school children to recite the pledge was unconstitutional because of the phrase "under God".