The Pledge of Allegiance is causing controversy in Orange County.
The mayor of Winter Garden gave a man an ultimatum Thursday night, telling him to either to stand during the pledge or be forced to leave the city council meeting.
News 13 has video of the incident, which was recorded by the man. He said his constitutional rights were violated.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national group which the man is a member of, is blasting Mayor John Rees and Police Chief John Brennan for removing the man from that meeting.
Winter Garden City Manager Mike Bollhoefer said the incident began when the man, who was sitting in a chair on the front row, refused to stand up during a city-led prayer and during the Pledge of Allegiance.
The invocation ended as follows, “and we thank you for allowing us to be in a country where we’re free to believe and thank and pray that we can be together here in public and we ask this in your precious name. Amen.”
That’s when Mayor Rees gave his ultimatum in the following exchange:
Mayor: “Now sir, please stand while we do the pledge, you don’t have to pledge but please stand. The children have to in school, too.”
Man: “Yes and they don’t have to, either.”
Mayor: “It’s in respect for our country.”
Man: “I understand, sir.”
Mayor: “You have one or two choices sir. You may please stand for the pledge, you don’t have to say it, please stand.”
Man: “I don’t have to do that.”
Mayor: “Okay.”
Crowd Member: “Stand up, man.”
Mayor: “Okay, ask him to either stand or please escort him out, until we get through the pledge. It’s just not fair to our troops and people overseas, sir.”
Police Chief: “What do you want to do? You want to stand or leave?”
Man: “I’m leaving.”
Police Chief: “Okay.”
“I don’t think the Mayor’s response is appropriate. I think the Mayor’s response should be, I’m sorry for requiring you to stand when I shouldn’t have done that,” said David Williamson, president of Central Florida Freethought Community.
“We have our attorneys now looking at that issue, whether or not it is a constitutional rights not to have to stand," said Winter Garden City Manager Mike Bollhoefer. "In defending of the mayor, it’s just a sign of respect standing.”
“I think that whether the mayor and the police chief acknowledge their mistake or not, we’re going to be at the next meeting and we’re going to sit through the invocation [prayer] and the Pledge of Allegiance because it’s our right to do so,” Williamson said.
Winter Garden is currently reviewing its city policy of who has the chance to give opening prayers at city meetings. The new procedure could open up the process to a variety of religious faiths, including giving atheists the opportunity to give the opening invocation.