McKeel Students Outraged Over School's Actions During Walkout

LAKELAND, FL -- While thousands of students around Tampa Bay expressed their outrage over the Parkland high school shootings with peaceful walkouts, students at one Lakeland school were forced to remain silent.

Students at McKeel Academy of Technology, 1810 W. Parker St. in Lakeland, were told to remain in class or face possible detention or suspension, according to one student at the school.

Junior Katie Gallo said she and a classmate approached the administration of the charter high school Tuesday, March 13, about participating in the walkout.

“I think we kind of caught them off guard,” Gallo said. “They weren’t aware this was going on. So I explained that 185,000 schools across the nation are holding walkouts in memory of the shooting victims at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, and we’d like to do it at our school.”

Gallo said she was disappointed with the response.

“They decided not to let us do it for safety reasons,” she said. “It's just my interpretation, but I think they felt we’d be making ourselves a target. I can partially understand that.”

Gallo was told, however, that the McKeel students were welcome to assemble before the start of school.

On Wednesday morning, Gallo said the school administrators locked the front door so students couldn’t leave the school.

“So we went to the back by the track and stood there,” she said. “They emailed the teachers that there was a situation in the front. They then pulled the fire alarm and everyone evacuated to the back and made it look like McKeel did support what was going on.”

Gallo’s description of events matched those of a McKeel student who posted a message on Facebook that circulated around other Lakeland area high schools.

“I'd like to tell the real story about the walkout planned for our school today," posted the anonymous student. "Our school told us that we were not allowed to walk out today, and that we would be punished with detention or worse. Our administration announced over the intercom that we were absolutely not allowed to participate in the protest. They then had us leave for a ‘fire alarm’ during the time of the walkout.”

Student Ashmara Dennisse said the fire drill made it appear as if the students were participating in the walkout.

"We were outside standing in cold weather while helicopters flew over McKeel catching the 'walkout' on footage," Dennisse said.

Students commenting on Facebook said the fire drill made it appear as if they were walking out like the students a half a mile away at Kathleen High School, where the walkout had the blessing of the administration.

One student sent an email to McKeel administrators at 10:27 a.m., voicing her outrage.

"The event that just occurred, the fire drill, was a ploy to get media coverage to look like McKeel participated in the walkout," said student Reagan Craig. "Myself and others think it is disgusting that someone would exploit a protest against gun violence to boost the morale for the school. It is absolutely repulsive that the decision was made to have a fire drill starting at 10 a.m. and ending at 10:17 a.m., the same time as the protest, after you spoke over the intercom about us not participating. We were all advised to not participate, and then you pulled a stunt like this."

Joyce Powell, principal of McKeel, did not return phone calls.

Image via Polk County School District