A Lebanon High School junior says a walkout event planned for March 11 is intended to show support for the school’s minority community.
Students are planning a peaceful walkout “to support our minority community.”
Student Evah Ryan explained what prompted her to get involved with the planned walkout.
“We see them facing discrimination every day in the hallways and the minority community wouldn't just be like people of color and immigrants. That would also include the LGBTQ that include women, it would include people in poverty. It would include everyone who isn't maybe what you would expect to see in a high school student. We see it every day, we hear in the hallways, we experience it,” she said
The event will take place 11:10-11:40 a.m. March 11 during RTI period on the football field. Participants must fill out a form to participate.
“I've been thinking about it for a while,” she said. “I hold like morals and empathy very high in my heart. We got permissions and everything, and then we just kept planning it.”
Ryan said they do not want the event to be overly political, but it is meant to bring the community together. She explained what they hoped to see happen as a result of this event.
“I would just like to accomplish letting our school and our community know that these children are facing this and that we should support them and help them through these things versus continuing to tear them down,” she said. “I feel like if you pay attention in history class, you're educated enough to know that we have oppressed people like, as Americans, people have been oppressed in America, and we've seen that happen,” she said.
Any signs must be approved in Ms. Perschall’s room by March 10. Signs will also be provided. Students should bring a school ID or a valid form of identification.
The school district provided this statement about the walkout: "We are aware that some students are planning a walkout to show “support for all minority communities”. While the District does not organize or promote these activities, students do have certain free speech rights.
"The District’s responsibility is to keep students safe, enforce school policies, and maintain an orderly learning environment. Administration will ensure any activity is peaceful, supervised, brief, and does not disrupt instruction. Our priority remains student safety and continued learning for all."
For more news, see Wednesday's LCR.
