Sophia DeLoretto-Chudy, a third-grade teacher from Texas, recently shared a shocking video detailing a workplace experience. In the TikTok, which has over three million views, the teacher says she was told educating her students about their constitutional rights and the history of the Pledge of Allegiance was a “concern”.
The TikToker Didn’t Understand the Problem
“Why is that a concern? Why is that a concern?” she says in the video, a hint of worry in her tone. The teacher is known to the internet as Sophie Marie.
Her Students Were Sitting During the Pledge of Allegiance.
The TikToker was pulled into a meeting after the school noticed her students were sitting during the Pledge of Allegiance. In her follow-up video, which has over a million views, Sophie explains that the children made this decision amongst themselves after learning about propaganda during Holocaust Remembrance Week.
Sophie’s Class Was Curious
“They were curious, actually, about where the Pledge of Allegiance came from,” the teacher says, “so we looked it up together.” Sophie and her students discovered that the Pledge of Allegiance was created after the civil war when the country was divided. The government wanted to install patriotism and children were the primary target.
The Students Made the Decision to Protest Themselves
“My students decided, amongst themselves, that they didn’t want to do that anymore. They wanted to protest,” the TikToker says, going on to explain that her students initially planned to disrupt the Pledge until she taught them about the effectiveness of silence. Sophie’s administrators didn’t believe the children were making the decision based on reasons they fully understood and, as such, accused the teacher of indoctrination.
Commenters Were Shocked
The vast majority of viewers on TikTok were supportive. People were shocked and scared by the school’s behavior and a plethora of comments about indoctrination, education, and the political landscape of Texas were left. “The censorship is unreal,” one person said, “That’s so scary,” another expressed. “The idea that they can understand pledging themselves to their country but not choosing not to is a terrifying line of logic to think about,” a third individual contributed. Other commenters were unsurprised, with one person explaining that incidents like this were exactly why they left the state.
Sophie Was Pulled Out of the School
The teacher left an update in a comment. “I’m at the school district,” she said, “after being pulled out of my classroom.” Sophie was featured on the news after attending a teachers’ rally. “I teach at a bilingual school, and we didn’t have Spanish-English dictionaries in our classroom. It’s basic supplies, and teachers are being asked to provide for their students,” she explained.
The Teacher Brought Attention to Industry Issues
Sophie went on to talk about a huge problem in the teaching and education industry. She explained that salaries are too low, which, in combination with teachers being expected to purchase resources with their own money, causes issues.
Harry Potter Books Were Also a Concern
Eagle-eyed viewers noticed another puzzling “concern” on Sophie’s list: “We’ve noticed you’ve engaged your students in a book study (Harry Potter)” can be seen at the top of the document. One commenter expressed their confusion at the hypocrisy of students being allowed to read the Bible – which contains themes of war, SA, assault, and justified slavery – but not Harry Potter.
Others Responded With Sarcasm and Humor
“Harry Potter is their first concern,” one person commented, laughing emojis accompanying their words. “Ah, you’re teaching them about witchcraft by reading them Harry Potter,” another commenter remarked.
Redditors Had Some Thoughts
As always, Reddit users had plenty to say. “The fact that they’re dumb enough to put that in writing with regard to the Pledge of Allegiance is a lawsuit waiting to happen. Students do not have to stand,” one person commented. “People are brainwashed,” another user claimed.
Several Reddit Comments Were Political
“Knowledge is power. They want the least powerful populace possible”, one person said, gaining over two thousand upvotes. “Texas blocked legislation that would have required schools to teach critical thinking skills. They said it might ‘interfere with the parent’s teachings’. I’m paraphrasing here,” another explained.
Others Were Doubtful
“Something tells me she’s not telling the whole story”, an unsure Redditor commented. Despite that, most Redditors were on Sophie’s side. Like TikTok commenters, they expressed their shock, fear, and support. Some offered advice to the teacher and many suggested she move out of Texas.
Sophie Was Fired
Sophie later said she’d been fired and denied the chance to finish the year with her class. District officials claimed she violated their social media policy by posting on TikTok. “It had nothing to do with my instructional practices, what I was teaching, or how I was teaching,” Sophie explained, “and it had everything to do with the fact that I had embarrassed one of my administrators on TikTok.” Despite Sophie’s comment, TikTok and Reddit users alike believe the school was compiling a list of reasons to dismiss the teacher.
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