Shortly before 3 p.m. today the Cobb County School District issued the following statement about planned walkouts on March 14 that include those organized by students at four East Cobb high schools to protest gun violence:
The safety of our students and employees is the top priority of the Cobb County School District, and the success of our students is our one goal.
We are aware of the desire of some students to participate in a demonstration of empathy for the lives lost at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018. The Cobb County School District leadership will work with students to identify the best methods to accomplish this demonstration of empathy without interruption of normal school operation, which is a policy violation and potentially jeopardizes student and staff safety.
The Cobb County School District does not support or endorse walkouts/protests that cause interruption to normal school operations.
Students who choose to disrupt the normal operation of a school may be subject to consequences in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.
Cobb schools superintendent Chris Ragsdale, who received an open letter from the East Cobb student organizers earlier this week, met with high school principals earlier today in a scheduled school district leadership meeting that included a discussion about about how to handle the protests.
Cobb schools spokesman John Stafford told East Cobb News that while the district is “not trying to stop the students from doing something positive” to honor the Florida shooting victims and protest gun violence, “what they don’t have the right to do is disrupt the normal school day.”
He said the decision was made by senior school district leadership and that the issue of school safety was a paramount factor.
At least 500 Walton students have signed up for what’s being called the National School Walkout, and a total of several hundred more have done likewise at Lassiter, Pope and Wheeler.
The protests are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 10:17 on March 14, the one-month anniversary of the Florida shootings, and could include students leaving school buildings and gathering outside. The 17-minute duration is for the 17 students and staff at the Florida school who were killed by a gunman. A former student has been arrested for their deaths.
“There is a proper way to do it, and it’s not to disrupt the school day,” Stafford said.
At a Cobb school board work session the day after the shootings, Ragsdale explained the challenges of security at high schools, and said the district would conduct unannounced “code red” drills to assess preparations for the possibility of an active shooter situation.
Stafford said that a number of alternatives were suggested at today’s meeting, including a candlelight vigil and other commemorations before the school day, and that discussions about those and other possibilities will continue.
The Cobb decision was announced on Wednesday shortly after students at Dalton High School were locked down, and then evacuated, after gunfire was heard inside a classroom building. News reports indicate a teacher has been taken into custody peacefully, and that the teacher barricaded himself in a classroom and fired his gun through a window.
The AJC also reported Wednesday a student at South Cobb High School has been arrested for threatening violence at that school.
Stafford would not specify what type of disciplinary action might be taken if Cobb students walk out as they have indicated, since the district handles student discipline cases on a case-by-case basis.
Although Marietta City Schools and DeKalb schools have said they would allow student protests, Stafford said Cobb “is not alone in what we are doing.”
Hannah Andress, an organizer of the Lassiter protest, told East Cobb News that she and her fellow students are going ahead with the protest as planned, and that she was told by Principal Chris Richie today that they will be given a “safe space” to conduct their walkout.
She said they will be having their protest on the home side of the Lassiter football stadium that will be accessible only by one entrance and exit point. Andress said students and staff will have to show their ID card. The school’s resource officer will be there “and we are looking into the feasibility of getting more security.
“We are working in close contact with administration and student council to ensure student safety and participation,” Andress told us.
She also forwarded to us the message she sent Ragsdale after the Cobb schools decision was announced:
“Thank you for providing me with teachers and resources for my education. However, your statement will not deter us. We will stand as a united front to protest the inaction of our government. We will not be a statistic and our voices will be heard so that 100 years down the line students will not have to dry their tears wondering where in history they lost their voice.”
Walton organizer Lily Lefter said the protests at her school also will go on, and she and her walkout co-hosts will be meeting with Principal Judy McNeill Thursday morning. Here’s what else she told us:
“We are of course a bit frustrated with the Cobb County statement because their primary ‘concern’ with endorsing/supporting the walkouts was the issue of safety. However, we are participating in the walk to stand up for gun law reform for our safety. If anything, we’re even more determined now. We aren’t going to be stopped by the threat of potential disciplinary actions because we are peacefully walking out to show respect to those affected as well as walk out because the 17 people who died cannot.”
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Get real. This would be a political protest, not a show of sympathy. As such, anyone with a skull can imagine the arguments and fights that would break out.
I’m no fan of public schools and the bureaucracy behind them, but they’re making the right call on this one. We live in a protest-happy world these days. You let this one slide, there will be more and more to come.
I don’t send my kids to Cobb County Schools to engage in political protests. If your children want to protest world events before they’ve even learned to balance a checking account, there are plenty of outlets for that outside of school hours.
The Right to Free Speech and to Assembly were woven into the fabric of the United States of America a very long time ago, and those rights are NOT just for adults…they are for these young people also! Therefore, high school students (and others) are clearly within their RIGHTS to briefly walk out in order to honor the memory of the 17 who lost their lives at Stoneman Douglas High School on 2-14-18. Not a soul should stand in their way, because they are also demonstrating their right to be able to: 1) ATTEND A SCHOOL THAT IS SAFE FROM BEING INVADED BY A MANIAC WITH AN AUTOMATIC FIREARM 2) EXPECT THAT THEY WILL N-O-T LOSE THEIR LIVES BECAUSE THEY ATTENDED SCHOOL. They have the right to ADVOCATE for their OWN lives, and NO ADULT should seek to take those RIGHTS away from them, especially under the PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES!
Parents & Students – first March 14th is already an early dismissal day for Cobb County Schools. High school students gets dismissed at 11:30am. Most high schools only have two class periods on early dismissal. Thus if you want to avoid any punishment/issues just don’t go to school on March 14 and if you want to attend the walk out go to the school at 10am and join in when students walk out. Simple solution to avoid any disciplinary actions.
Instead of threatening students who want to express their concerns, Cobb County should arrange for proper security so these students can do so in a safe manner. As a parent I am prepared to go to the the school officials to demand that. Let me know if you want to go with me.
Keep walking, students, and tell these tired old frts to go pound sand. They don’t own you.
This is such a mistake Cobb is making. What a shame.
Let them do it during Spring break and have their parents attend to show support. That would show real commitment!
Yes Me. Hamm- We should do BOTH and more.
Nothing disrupts a school day like SOMEONE coming into a school and shooting it up…
It’s a scheduled protest, HELLLLOOO!!! Schedule some help and allow them to protest. Just like a school does whenever they have fire drills
Students, you are far more precious than lobbyists dollars. Speak out, walk out, speak respectfully with compassion, strive for the positive changes you want to see in your community, your world. It isn’t easy but it is worth it, persevere where we older adults have failed. Your positive action will encourage others to join. Administrators and educators, nurture their desire and action to bring positive change. This is far more important than one day’s morning announcements or a pep rally.
Harrison High School can have students miss class to see where Senior Justin fields is going to play football for with news, police and helicopters all there for that but for kids to protest and pay respect to 17 lives killed they can’t leave? For my daughter this is personal we lived in Parkland she lost four friends that she use to go school with. My oldest daughter had the coach that died. We are personal friends with the mayor of Parkland. We have many many friends still at that school. We went home two days after this happened for a week and no one knows what a tight knit community this is. It’s family to anyone living in Parkland and Coral Springs so Cobb County I give all my permission for my daughter to walk out And I will be right there waiting for her and supporting her and anyone else leaving school.
😡It’s a shame! Cobb County.
What a nice way to show empathy & compassion to Parkland High School and other HS’s that have been trough such avoidable tragedies.
Those are not the values we are supposed to be teaching our kids.
LET THEM MARCH! Let them have solidarity, their voice mater; Perhaps this generation can make the difference that adults couldn’t.
After all they are the future of this country.