2008 Woodie Awards
School overreacts to protesters
Nicole Weskerna/Online Reporter
Issue date: 11/30/07 Section: Arts and Entertainment
- Page 1 of 1
Eyebrows were raised after a handful of Morton West High School students in Chicago demonstrated a Nov. 14 anti-war protest in their school cafeteria.
It wasn't the manner in which the kids protested that struck concern with parents, it was the severity of their punishment.
The demonstration against the Iraq war was a peaceful sit-in consisting of approximately 40 students who refused to leave the cafeteria and sat on the floor locking hands and arms until the day was over.
However, the punishment for a peaceful demonstration was what drew the most criticism. School administrators were going to penalize students with expulsion.
It doesn't end there.
The administrators decided to punish some of the student demonstrators more severely than others. Students in sports or with high grade point averages were to have been punished more mildly.
The 38 students whose pending punishment could end in expulsion or a suspension were charged with "gross disobedience and mob activity," and soon, it became too difficult to quiet the parents unless the charges were dropped.
The whole situation prompted more student protests, but this time they held signs saying, "Let us go back to school." The overreaction on the part of the school's administration was really the highlight of the news and drew attention from parents and free-speech advocates.
Everyone deserves the right to free speech and a peaceful demonstration. Expulsion or any type of punishment for either is not listed alongside these rights, which are in the first amendment of our constitution. It's in the Bill of Rights.
Administrators argued on their own behalf that the handful of students in the cafeteria had disrupted other 3,400 students' rights to a peaceful, disruption-free school day.
Teachers testified that their classrooms had not been interrupted during the protest, but the administrators felt that they were a nuisance and needed a severe punishment.
This actually has a point. The point isn't that the school administrators abused their powers. It isn't that everyone has the right to demonstrate against something they disagree with, regardless of age.
Personally, I think the point is that we wonder why young people aren't involved in our politics-why young people don't participate. Involvement with opposition to the war was heavily discouraged is almost like punishing them for trying to influence policy change.
But all the media attention has probably helped the most. No one is getting expelled, now, leaving parents elated and kids afraid to protest.
For more information:
Bolton government office
Chicago Tribune
State Government
It wasn't the manner in which the kids protested that struck concern with parents, it was the severity of their punishment.
The demonstration against the Iraq war was a peaceful sit-in consisting of approximately 40 students who refused to leave the cafeteria and sat on the floor locking hands and arms until the day was over.
However, the punishment for a peaceful demonstration was what drew the most criticism. School administrators were going to penalize students with expulsion.
It doesn't end there.
The administrators decided to punish some of the student demonstrators more severely than others. Students in sports or with high grade point averages were to have been punished more mildly.
The 38 students whose pending punishment could end in expulsion or a suspension were charged with "gross disobedience and mob activity," and soon, it became too difficult to quiet the parents unless the charges were dropped.
The whole situation prompted more student protests, but this time they held signs saying, "Let us go back to school." The overreaction on the part of the school's administration was really the highlight of the news and drew attention from parents and free-speech advocates.
Everyone deserves the right to free speech and a peaceful demonstration. Expulsion or any type of punishment for either is not listed alongside these rights, which are in the first amendment of our constitution. It's in the Bill of Rights.
Administrators argued on their own behalf that the handful of students in the cafeteria had disrupted other 3,400 students' rights to a peaceful, disruption-free school day.
Teachers testified that their classrooms had not been interrupted during the protest, but the administrators felt that they were a nuisance and needed a severe punishment.
This actually has a point. The point isn't that the school administrators abused their powers. It isn't that everyone has the right to demonstrate against something they disagree with, regardless of age.
Personally, I think the point is that we wonder why young people aren't involved in our politics-why young people don't participate. Involvement with opposition to the war was heavily discouraged is almost like punishing them for trying to influence policy change.
But all the media attention has probably helped the most. No one is getting expelled, now, leaving parents elated and kids afraid to protest.
For more information:
Bolton government office
Chicago Tribune
State Government
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