In an effort to show solidarity with the Mike Brown protesters, a handful of St Louis Rams, and everyone else who completely fails to understand both forensics and the American justice system, students in the Ferguson and Florissant School District staged a walkout during school hours on Tuesday.
Most media outlets praised the students for engaging in the civic process and thoughtful dialogue. They reported a largely peaceful event. But beneath the surface, things may not have been what they seemed.
Within hours of the walkout, posts were popping up on social media, hinting that businesses had been targeted and looted by students. In broad daylight. While they were illegally out of their classrooms.
And if that isn't bad enough, there's more. The superintendent, who should have been attempting to reign students in and exercising authority. While claiming to be “keeping the students safe and monitoring their actions,” he was marching with the students.
And what of the students who chose to remain in their classrooms and attempt to further their educations? They got put on lockdown. They weren't permitted to leave to use the bathroom, and lunches were delivered to the classrooms.
Following the walkout, the school district sent a letter home to parents stressing the points that students would not be permitted to leave school property, and that regardless of the situation or the number of students involved, the discipline code would still be applied.
Strategic planning committee member and concerned parent Kimberly Benz responded to the school's actions (or lack thereof):
What is the point in reminding parents that they are not permitted to leave school grounds? You just allowed them to do just that? What we say now won't matter in the future either, as you have just set a precedent to let them leave. What kind of message does that send?
You say that the discipline code applies. How will the students who left today be disciplined?
One of the main goals in our strategic plan was to follow the rules and disciplinary actions that we already have in place and to show consistency. The district's words and actions are not consistent with one another in this case.”
And just when you thought the situation couldn't get any worse…
When the students returned to school, not so much as a tardy was issued. And school resources were used to collect the students no return them to school property. The SchoolReach robocall system that was designed to keep parents informed of what is going on in the school remained silent until after the 5pm news.
And to top it off, white students – including my own children – are being asked 'Whose side are you on?' What happens when someone answers that question *wrong*? What if they ask the son or daughter or a police officer?”
What happens indeed.
What happens if they ask the son or daughter of someone whose business burned to the ground last week?
