By Staff Reporter |

The leader of the Chandler Unified School District (CUSD) governing board declines to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance, worrying some CUSD families over the implications.

A video obtained by board meeting attendees shows CUSD Board President Patti Serrano exercising her First Amendment right by standing with her hand over her heart and refusing to recite the Pledge of Allegiance.

Many of those who protest the patriotic recited verse are usually in protest of the current state of the country or the very existence and idea of America. 

The Pledge of Allegiance represents a citizen’s oath of loyalty to the American flag and the republic it symbolizes, defined as an indivisible “one nation under God” that affords liberty and justice for all its citizens. 

AZ Free News contacted Serrano about her refusal to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance. We did not receive a response. 

Last month, a CUSD community member asked Serrano about her refusal to participate. Serrano said she would not respond publicly about her reason for not reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, since it was not an agenda item for that meeting. 

“I won’t participate in any discussion at this time,” said Serrano. “Public comment is not a time for engagement, and I’m more than happy to reach out to you personally.” 

Serrano’s refusal to participate in the Pledge of Allegiance aligns with her other progressive values: legalizing abortion, increasing gun control, advancing LGBTQ+ ideologies in minors, and supporting Islamic terrorist groups aligned with Palestine. 

When Serrano took her oath of office for the board in 2023, she swore on the book, “Life is a Banquet,” rather than the Bible. The book, written by Arizona State University (ASU) professor and Drag Story Hour Arizona founder David Boyles, describes the sexual experiences and explicit fantasies of a fictional minor male who goes on to reject the values of his conservative, Christian parents and adopt the progressive ideologies of ASU students. 

Boyles likened Serrano taking her oath of office on his book to the Biblical account in which God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac.

Also in 2023, Serrano helped organize the appearance of Democratic Michigan Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib for an ASU protest in the weeks following the Hamas terrorist attack on Israel. Tlaib has advocated for the eradication of Israel from the land. Serrano organized the event as the southwest regional coordinator for the Progressive Democrats of America. 

Following Serrano’s role in the Tlaib affair, CUSD families called for Serrano’s resignation. Their call to action was dwarfed by the appearance of around 150 supporters from inside and outside the district at a board meeting, mobilized by former CUSD board member Lindsay Love. Love was also one to inspire controversy during her time on the board for publicizing political views similar to those held by Serrano. Love left the board after one term, citing tensions with the CUSD community as her reason for not seeking reelection.

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