County board in NC won’t say Pledge of Allegiance and will arrest protesters who do

A county board of elections in eastern North Carolina is facing growing criticism for rebuking requests to add the Pledge of Allegiance to its agendas — and for threatening to arrest people who stand and recite it at board meetings.

Bladen County Board of Elections Chairwoman Louella Thompson issued the warning after a group of protesters spontaneously stood to recite the Pledge at a Tuesday meeting, according to The Bladen Journal and other news outlets.

On Wednesday, Thompson released a statement to McClatchy News confirming her intent to have deputies arrest people who say the Pledge at inopportune moments during board meetings:

“The Bladen County Board of Elections received a request to add the pledge of allegiance to the agenda of our business meeting,” her statement says.

“After a period of public comment the board voted 3 to 2 to deny the request. A few individuals present refused to accept the decision of the board and disrupted the meeting to protest the vote by standing and reciting the pledge. That disruption violated the law NC GS 143.318.17 Disruption of official meeting. Those present were made aware of the violation and told that any future disruption would result in arrest.”

Elections Board Director Christopher Williams confirmed to McClatchy that Thompson has asked for a deputy to be present at the next meeting (on Feb. 11) “for disruptions.”

The board does not plan to recite the Pledge of Allegiance at that meeting, he said.

Asked if audience members would be escorted out for saying it, Williams told McClatchy: “It would be up to the chairperson to decide if something counted as a disruption.”

Critics of the board took to Facebook and Twitter after the Tuesday meeting, including Congressman Dan Bishop (NC-09), who said he “was appalled” at the threat to arrest people over saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

Others accused the board of being “unpatriotic” and using “Stalin tactics” against citizens.

“This is reprehensible,” Ryan Fournier said in a tweet. “Board of Elections Chairwoman in Bladen County, NC, Louella Thompson banned the Pledge of Allegiance from meetings. And said she is going to have police present to arrest anyone who stands to say it.”

“So #LouellaThompson would not allow (the) Pledge of Allegiance of America - a nation (that) guarantees freedoms & provides (the) infrastructure to protect those freedoms - but she’s willing to use (the) police - infrastructure necessary to protect freedoms - to enforce (a) gag order,” Raymond Amang tweeted.

“Patriots need to start showing face against these oppressors. ... It’s push back time people. This chairwoman needs to reminded who she works for,” wrote Bruce Boon on the Bladen Journal Facebook page.

“Why am I not shocked? Seems there are more and more deciding to turn against their own country,” posted a commenter on The Robesonian.com website.

The controversy began in August when an audience member asked board members why the Pledge was not recited at meetings and why the U.S. flag was not present, according to Bladenonline.com.

“Thompson looked at fellow board member Ms. Patsy Sheppard and they both agreed there was no need for the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag at the meetings,” the new outlet reported.

This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 12:12 PM with the headline "County board in NC won’t say Pledge of Allegiance and will arrest protesters who do."