The Springfield School Committee heard an informational briefing Thursday on whether to adopt a policy addressing the daily Pledge of Allegiance and display of the flag in district schools and referred the matter to the committee's legislative and contracts subcommittee for further work.

Attorney Jeremy Saint Laurent told trustees that while Massachusetts General Law 71:69 (the statute cited in the packet) remains on the books, its application has been constrained by U.S. Supreme Court precedent from the 1940s that prohibits compelling students or staff to recite the pledge. "Requiring students to recite the pledge is compelled speech and therefore in violation of their First Amendment rights," Saint Laurent said, describing how districts interpret the statute in light of court rulings.

Attorney Ian Keith presented a sample policy from Brookline Public Schools that he said would be legally compatible with the court interpretation and state statute. The Brookline sample recommends displaying the flag inside buildings and offering students the opportunity to recite the pledge on a voluntary basis; it also cautions against coercion of students or staff.

Committee members asked whether the district currently violates state law when individual schools do not include a pledge in daily opening exercises. Attorneys said the statute's language about a teacher leading a recitation is inconsistent with Supreme Court holdings that bar compelled speech; accordingly, districts have generally adopted voluntary approaches that give students an opportunity without forcing participation.

Attorney Murphy, who initially requested the review, and other trustees said they expect a written policy to provide consistent guidance across schools. The committee voted to send the issue to the legislative and contracts subcommittee for drafting and to ask the district attorneys to provide additional sample policies and any relevant guidance from Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC). The subcommittee was scheduled to meet the following week to begin drafting.

No policy was adopted Thursday; the committee's decision was to research examples, consult with MASC, and draft a policy for future consideration.