District says protest is not school-sanctioned, outlines attendance consequences and safety plans
A group of students at North Penn High School is planning a walkout Friday afternoon during sixth period to show support for immigrant families, prompting a response from the North Penn School District outlining how the event will be handled during the school day.
According to a student-created flyer circulating online, participants plan to gather at the front entrance of the school and walk out toward the North Penn sign at Valley Forge Road while holding anti-ICE signs, beginning at noon and lasting 40 minutes.
The flyer states that posters will be provided and that any student-made signs must be free of profanity and focused on opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In a message to families, North Penn High School Principal Kyle Hassler said administrators became aware earlier this week of a social media post advertising the walkout.
“We recognize the importance of the right to free speech, value our students’ voices and recognize their right to express their beliefs,” Hassler wrote. “This said, we also have an obligation to school rules and expectations, and walking out of class or school creates significant safety concerns.”
Hassler said school leaders met multiple times with student organizers to discuss alternatives that would allow students to express themselves while maintaining safety and an orderly environment. However, he said concerns remained.
Students who leave class during instructional time will be marked as skipping class and subject to standard school consequences. They will also not receive credit for missed assignments or assessments during that time, according to the district.
“These expectations are not intended to discourage student expression, but rather reflect the school’s obligation to uphold attendance and instructional policies during the school day,” Hassler wrote.
The school said instruction will continue as scheduled for students who do not participate. Staff members will be assigned to supervise students who leave class, and for security reasons, only North Penn High School students and staff will be permitted on school property during the protest window. The campus will also be closed to incoming traffic during that time.
Community members have also taken note of the planned demonstration. The Lansdale Equality Coalition posted on Facebook encouraging supporters to gather on sidewalks near the Weis shopping center, not on school or residential property, to show solidarity as students walk out.
Organizers of the community gathering said they hope to offer students encouragement and hear their message, while urging participants to remain off school grounds.
Walkouts to exercise Constitutional rights are not unfamiliar to North Penn: One well-known walkout occurred more than 30 years ago, albeit for local socioeconomic and sociopolitical reasons rather than immigration reform, when ninth-graders protested the teachers' union strike going on at the time.
Contact Lansdale Equality Coalition at [email protected].
