NEW YORK – Officials at the September 11 Memorial say their staff was wrong for stopping a North Carolina middle school from singing "The Star Spangled Banner" on Wednesday.
It was an impromptu performance by the students at Waynesville Middle School. A guard walked over to the music teacher and told her she needed to stop the performance.
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Teacher Martha Brown said a different security guard gave them the OK to sing, but a second guard said, "You just can't do this. You've got to stop now."
"The guard did not respond appropriately," said spokeswoman Kayle Skaar to NBC New York. "We are working with our security staff to ensure that this does not happen again with future student performances."
Brown said this was a learning experience for the students and that it taught them that even if they don't agree with it, or understand it, they must respect authority.
People who wish to perform on the plaza are supposed to pay $35 to apply for a permit and obey a list of rules, according to memorial officials. Brown said she was not aware of the permit.
WMS chorus singing @ Twin Towers Memorial. They stopped them half the way thru. You can't sing the National Anthem. So sad this is happening everywhere. They sounded great. God Bless America!
Posted by Connie Shepherd Scanlon on Wednesday, April 20, 2016