Final answer:
The 1943 case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette protects a student's right to refuse to salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance on religious grounds under the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.
Step-by-step explanation:
A young student who refuses to salute the American Flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance is protected on religious grounds by the precedent set in the case West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943). This ruling upholds that students have the First Amendment right to free speech, which includes the right to refrain from speech compelled by the government. The issue here pertains to the free exercise clause, as it protects an individual's freedom to hold religious beliefs and to practice or abstain from practicing certain religious activities without government interference.
This case established that forcing students to salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance is a violation of their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and religion.
This matter is primarily a question of free exercise as it relates to the student's religious beliefs and their right to not participate in activities that go against those beliefs.