Crime & Safety
Bay Area High School Principal Placed on Leave Following Anti-Trump Walkout
Students launch petition to have him reinstated, saying: "Mr. Morales is a Latino man who cannot simply switch his identity on and off."
SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA – Milpitas High School Principal Phil Morales was placed on leave by the school district after video of him using profanity at an anti-Trump student walkout was posted on social media.
Students responded by starting a petition on change.org to have him reinstated.
The students walked out of class at 11 a.m. Thursday. They gathered in the stands at the football field and voiced their opposition to President-elect Donald Trump's victory.
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The rally was facilitated by Morales. Just hours later, he was placed on leave.
According to the Mercury-News, Interim School Superintendent Cheryl Jordan said in a written statement, “At the conclusion Mr. Morales made an unfortunate and inappropriate comment that was shared on social media. Mr. Morales regrets his remark and has apologized. We understand that emotions are high at this time in our country, and expect that each of our school leaders will respond to feelings with dignity. It is imperative that our educational leaders always model integrity and great character.”
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"The district should keep in mind that outside of being a school administrator, Mr. Morales is a Latino man who cannot simply switch his identity on and off," the petition reads. "In that moment, he had concerns and fears about living as a person of color, a Mexican American, in this country, just like the rest of us."
There is no school today due to Veterans Day. See student petition here.
More school protest news from throughout the Bay Area:
- 2 Pleasant Hill Teachers Assaulted During Student Anti-Trump Protests
- Contra Costa Student Walkouts To Protest Trump Election Lead To Arrests, School Lockdowns
- Students From North Bay High Schools Stage Walkout Over President-Elect Trump
- Students At 3 East Bay High Schools Walk Out, Denounce President-Elect Trump
- Hundreds Of San Jose High Schoolers Walk Out, Protest Trump
Bea Karnes (Patch Staff) contributed to this report/Image by Allison Levitsky, Bay City News
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