Fargo School Board votes 7-2 to no longer recite the Pledge of Allegiance

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) - The wrestling match over the Pledge of Allegiance at Fargo School Board meetings has reached a resolution. In a 7-2 vote on Tuesday, the school board moved to not recite the pledge before their meetings.

The debate goes back to February when a motion to have the Pledge recited at meetings, brought forward by board member David Paulson, died for a lack of a motion for a second. The matter worked its way back to a March board meeting, where it passed. The Pledge has been recited at the start of each board meeting since April 12.

Board Vice President Seth Holden then requested that the issue be discussed again at the board meeting on August 9, saying he wanted to rescind the March decision after hearing comments from board members and the public. Holden says the Pledge of Allegiance doesn’t align with the school district’s diversity, equity and inclusion values.

The decision to not say the Pledge doesn’t sit well with all who attended Tuesday’s board meeting. Paulson said, “The pledge isn’t a show of our patriotism, it’s an affirmation of a our commitment to a greater cause, and that cause is freedom.”