A week after the school shooting in Parkland, Fla. that killed 17, students are walking out of classes to demand action on gun control. However, some schools are actually punishing these students sticking up for their rights.
According to CNN, the Needville Independent School District in Texas has issued a warning to the students walking out. Anyone who participated in a protest would receive a three day suspension.
“Life is all about choices and every choice has a consequence whether it be positive or negative. We will discipline no matter if it is one, fifty, or five hundred students involved,” said Superintendent Curtis Rhodes in a statement on the school’s Facebook page. Rhodes also said that school is a place to learn and grow, and a disruption would not be tolerated.
Needville isn’t the only school to speak out about the protests. According to the Washington Post, a superintendent in Virginia’s Prince William County said anyone causing a disruption or leaving school without an authorization would be punished. CNN also reported that a school district in Waukesha, W.I. notified parents of a scheduled walkout and said the school was not involved in the protest.
The survivors of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland have been busy in the week since the shooting to advocate for gun control. According to CNN, many have been interviewed by the national media and they also organized a trip to the Florida State Capitol to ask lawmakers about new gun laws. The Hill reports they have also planned a nationwide school walkout to protest gun violence, which is why other schools are speaking out.
While students are being discouraged from protesting, hundreds from a school in Florida walked out and marched towards Stoneman Douglas High School as a call to action on Tuesday, according to The Hill. It is clear that even when schools threaten to punish students, they are still actively fighting for what they believe in.