What began at Pine Bush High School as a way to celebrate other cultures, quickly became a divide over the first amendment. Time Warner Cable News reporter Briggettee Sayegh has the story.

PINE BUSH, N.Y.-- It began as an effort to promote cultural diversity in school, and ended with school leaders at Pine Bush High School  apologizing.

To honor national foreign language week, the High School's morning announcements on Wednesday included a reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in Arabic. 

Some students, sat down in protest over the decision, and made angry comments in class. 

Others, say they had no problem with the cultural immersion.

"We're all Americans we came here as immigrants, we all spoke different languages. I think today we should still be able to speak different languages and praise our country in some way," said high school senior Broderick Reilly.

Before Wednesday, the school had plans to say the pledge in a different language every day.

For some, the problem wasn't the use of the Arabic language in classrooms, but rather not saying the Pledge in English 

" It's the pledge of allegiance, we're saying it to the American flag. I think it should be said in English. It is foreign language week but we don't even offer Arabic in Pine Bush High School," said high school student Alex Krug.

Many with ties to the school took to twitter to voice outrage, some going as far as to say that they are embarrassed to be associated with the high school over the reaction some had to the pledge.

The school however, reacting to the pressure, released an apology on its website. It read, in part: 

"The intention was to promote the fact that those who speak a language other than English still pledge to salute this great country. We sincerely apologize to any students, staff or community members who found this activity offensive."

Some parents reached out to our newsroom, saying they were upset over the decision.

But others say they have no problem with the pledge being recited in any language.

"Now we've got this influx of immigrants from those particular areas over there," said Peter Reilly as he was waiting to pick up his grandson at the high school. "Naturally they've got influence here and maybe they wanna hear themselves say the pledge in their own language which I've got no problem with if it's sincere when they're pledging allegiance in their own language."

"I think its an outrage. I believe everybody should respect one another and there's nothing wrong with teaching the children different languages," said Helene Morrow, who has a son at Pine Bush High School.

The school said that from now on the Pledge will only be said in English, as recommended by the Commissioner of Education.

Unrelated, the school district is also facing a lawsuit, after prosecutors say the school failed to adequately respond to claims of anti-Semitic harassment in its schools last year.

The lawsuit was filed by several families who say their kids were subjected to the harassment.