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Florida schools must make Pledge of Allegiance opt-out policy more visible

ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Beginning July 1, all school districts in Florida will have to include an opt-out notice in student handbooks that notifies students of their rights if they don’t want to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Students who choose to not say the pledge will not have to stand while other students recite it.

In the past, the notice has only been posted only in schools.

Teachers weren't allowed to force students who opted out to stand, but some parents said it was happening.

A U.S. Supreme Court ruling more than 70 years ago decided students can opt out of saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

In Florida, if those students have a note from a parent, they don't have to recite the pledge.

Previous story: Atheist group warns schools to follow law

One mother told Channel 9’s Deneige Broom her son in the Sarasota area has opted out of saying the pledge and got in trouble with his teachers for not standing. Other students claim teachers forced them to participate, so they contacted groups like American Atheists for help.

"There were students who were being forced to stand for the pledge, forced to recite the pledge even though they didn't want to, even though they specifically objected to it; and that's unconstitutional,” said David Silverman of American Atheists.

There have been no complaints filed against Central Florida schools.

"Now you're giving kids options? They're kids. They're children. Teach them,” said parent, Michael Williams.

"They're trying to be American, but they're being un-American by actually forcing to take a pledge to give up some of their rights to do something that they don't agree with,” Silverman said.

Contact Deneige Broom for questions and more on this story.