‘Patriots’ cover Back Bay High School with American flags after removed teacher tells students to pledge allegiance to the LGBTQ+ pride flag



Orange County, California, residents covered the campus of Back Bay High School in American flags as the school announced Kristin Pitzen — the teacher who suggested students pledge their allegiance to the LGBTQ+ pride flag rather than the American flag — was removed from the classroom over her antics.

What's a brief history here?

Pitzen raised eyebrows and made headlines earlier this week after one of her TikTok videos went viral.

In the video, she suggested that the students in her class — which was devoid of an American flag — say the Pledge of Allegiance to the LGBTQ+ pride flag instead.

Pitzen previously said that she removed the American flag from her classroom because it made her feel "uncomfortable."

After the video went viral, school officials announced that Pitzen was removed from the classroom and placed on administrative leave.

A spokesperson for the Newport Mesa Unified School District said, "We are aware that one of our teachers posted a video on their personal social media that caused alarm and concern related to saluting the American flag. Showing respect for our nation's flag is an important value that we instill in our students and an expectation of our employees. I assure you, we take matters like this seriously and will be taking action to address it."

The spokesperson added, "The teacher is no longer in the classroom. We follow due process and our investigation continues."

Teacher mocks the American Flag and suggests to students they can say the Pledge of Allegiance to the pride flag: https://t.co/1QTS5xjPln

— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) 1630101529.0

What did others do in response?

Following the outcry of Pitzen's since-deleted video, area citizens took to the school's property and surrounding cross streets and peppered the exteriors with American flags.

According to a report from the Los Angeles Times, one area resident also staked a poster bearing the words to the Pledge of Allegiance in the grass area outside of the school.

One mother told the outlet that she noticed people standing outside of the school earlier this week waving American flags and smiling at passersby.

"I saw it as I was coming by, so I got in the turn lane and honked and said, 'Thank you for doing that,'" she recalled saying as others honked in support of the show of patriotism.

Twitter account "Libs of Tik Tok" shared video of the school's exterior surroundings on Wednesday, and captioned it, "Back Bay High School, where Kristin Pitzen worked, was decorated in American flags by community members. Patriots."

At the time of this reporting, the video has been viewed more than 28,000 times.

Back Bay High School, where Kristin Pitzen worked, was decorated in American flags by community members. Patriots… https://t.co/4foVo5A0oM

— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) 1630509844.0

Teacher who told students to pledge allegiance to gay pride flag has been removed from the classroom



Kristin Pitzen, the California schoolteacher who posted a video to social media of herself instructing students to pledge allegiance to the gay pride flag, has been removed from the classroom.

Pitzen recently posted a video on TikTok, where she revealed that she removed the American flag from her classroom in Orange County because it made her feel "uncomfortable."

Pitzen has been placed on administrative leave, according to the school district.

"We are aware that one of our teachers posted a video on their personal social media that caused alarm and concern related to saluting the American flag," Annette Franco, a spokesperson for the Newport Mesa Unified School District, said.

"Showing respect for our nation's flag is an important value that we instill in our students and an expectation of our employees," Franco continued. "I assure you, we take matters like this seriously and will be taking action to address it."

"The teacher is no longer in the classroom," the spokesperson said. "We follow due process and our investigation continues."

"The school district's policy requires that each school conducts daily patriotic exercises, including the pledge of allegiance, with an understanding that the pledge is an expression of patriotism and pride in the U.S.," KTLA reported. "But individuals may choose not to participate in the flag salute for personal reasons."

Pitzen recently deleted her TikTok account, but it was too late, as the @libsoftiktok Twitter account saved the controversial video and posted it online. The video went viral and has been viewed over 1.6 million times, and the tweet has nearly 6,000 Likes.

"OK, so during third period, we have announcements and they do the Pledge of Allegiance," Pitzen says in the video. "I always tell my class, 'Stand if you feel like it, don't stand if you feel like it, say the words if you want, don't have to say the words.'"

"So, my class decided to stand but not say the words. Totally fine," she continued. "Except for the fact that my room does not have a flag."

Pitzen explained that she removed the American flag from her classroom during the pandemic because "it made me uncomfortable."

"I packed it away and I don't know where, and I haven't found it yet," she said while giggling.

When one of her students asked what they should do during the Pledge of Allegiance, she replied, "In the meantime, I tell this kid, 'We do have a flag in the class that you can pledge your allegiance to.' And he like, looks around and goes, 'Oh, that one?'" She then pointed to the gay pride flag hanging on the wall of the classroom.

The video went viral, prompting comments from thousands who believe the teacher is not patriotic, including former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell, who wrote, "What kind of parent would allow their child to be taught by this wacko? Why are parents turning their kids over to someone they don't know? I'd like to talk to people who think this is good?!?"

After the story went viral online, local residents have placed dozens of miniature American flags and a few gay pride flags on the school grounds.

In another since-deleted TikTok video, Pitzen brags about all of the LGBTQ pride flags she put up in her classroom. "I pledge allegiance to the queers," the teacher says in the video.

She shows off all the pride flags in her classroom and says “I pledge allegiance to the queers” https://t.co/eQXe1OfPoW

— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) 1630102419.0

Teacher instructs students to pledge allegiance to gay pride flag after she removed American flag from classroom because it made her 'uncomfortable'



A California teacher instructed her students to pledge allegiance to a gay pride flag after she removed the American flag from her classroom because it made her uncomfortable, according to a report. The school district has allegedly launched an investigation into the incident.

The alleged teacher was exposed by the massively popular "Libs of TikTok" account on Twitter, which has over 176,000 followers. The page shared an apparent TikTok video of the teacher explaining how she handles the morning announcements in her school, which includes the Pledge of Allegiance.

"I always tell my class, 'Stand if you feel like it, don't stand if you feel like it, say the words if you want, you don't have to say the words,'" the teacher said in the video, which has over 1 million views. "So, my class decided to stand but not say the words. Totally fine."

"Except for the fact that my room does not have a flag," she noted.

The teacher explained in the video that she removed the American flag from her classroom during the pandemic "because it made me uncomfortable."

"I packed it away and I don't know where, and I haven't found it yet," she said while giggling.

One of her students asked what he should look at while they recite the Pledge of Allegiance since there is no American flag in the classroom.

While attempting to hold back laughter, she exclaimed, "In the meantime, I tell this kid, 'We do have a flag in the class that you can pledge your allegiance to.' And he like, looks around and goes, 'Oh, that one?'" She then pointed to the gay pride flag.

Teacher mocks the American Flag and suggests to students they can say the Pledge of Allegiance to the pride flag: https://t.co/1QTS5xjPln

— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) 1630101529.0

Fox News has identified the teacher in the viral video as Kristin Pitzen, who reportedly teaches in the Newport Mesa School District in Orange County, California.

The Newport Mesa School District told Fox News that the situation is being investigated.

"We are aware of this incident and are investigating," a public relations officer for the district, Annette Franco, told the outlet. "While we do not discuss employee related matters, we can tell you that showing respect and honor for our nation's flag is a value that we instill in our students and an expectation of our employees. We take matters like this seriously and will be taking action to address it."

In another video, Pitzen is seen celebrating the start of gay pride month. Dressed in rainbow suspenders and rainbow earrings, the teacher shows off all of the pride flags she decorated the classroom with, including the transgender pride flag and the "progress pride flag" that places a "greater emphasis on 'inclusion and progression,' especially for "marginalized LGBTQ+ communities of color" and transgender people.

"I pledge allegiance to the queers," Pitzen said in the video.

Southern California high school English teacher. Unsure exact school. If you have any leads- dm me please

— Libs of Tik Tok (@libsoftiktok) 1630102755.0

The TikTok account shown in the videos is mrsgillingsworth, which appears to have been deleted from the social media platform. When the account was active, the profile description stated: "Your Favorite English Teacher." The profile also read: "She/They" and "Bi."