Kristin Pitzen was recording a TikTok when she said something that, days later, would cost her dearly.
She was a teacher at Back Bay High School in Costa Mesa, California. In the video, she laughingly explained that her students stood up to say the Pledge of Allegiance in her class, but didn’t recite it: there was no longer a U.S. flag in the classroom. She had removed it herself during the pandemic. One student told her it felt strange to pledge allegiance “to nothing”. Her response was to point to the LGBT+ Pride flag hanging on the wall.
The recording went viral, she deleted it, and other users reposted it on Twitter. The Newport-Mesa district opened an investigation and reminded employees that showing respect for the flag is an expectation. According to several media outlets, the teacher was removed from her position and later fired, although the district did not confirm the details of her employment situation. She insisted that it had all been a joke. A tasteless joke or an offense that warranted losing her job?
