Forsyth County, NC -- Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools will vote Tuesday to affirm the decision to let students opt out of saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
It's an issue at the intersection of freedom of speech and patriotism.
Americans divided by the expression "under God" - a relatively new part of the pledge which wasn't added until 1954.
Some feel it muddles the separation of church and state.
Jim Moury is an atheist who says he still recites the pledge the old way without "under God."
"Part of being an American is to have the right to not do that. That's what being American is. We have the freedom. If you take away that freedom then you're not an American anymore,"he said.
Moury says his issue with the Forsyth County Winston Salem Schools debate is about forcing nationalism on children.
Even with the board's decision, Moury says he's bothered by the caveat that allows administrators to call parents should their children refuse to recite the pledge.
"Then you're not really allowing them to opt out are you? If you're telling on them so I have a pretty big problem with that. That sounds like bullying to me," said Moury, who is also the founder of Forsyth Area Critical Thinkers.
The district says calling parents is really not about punishing anyone. They just want parents to know what's going on with their kids while they are in school.