Concord High School Seniors Stage Walkout Over Canceled Privileges: Watch

CONCORD, NH — As promised, a number of members of the Class of 2022 at Concord High School, staged a walkout in protest of a lack of senior privileges.

Despite a request to parents made by Michael Reardon, the principal of the school, not to have their kids walk out as well as a warning athletes might lose their privileges, about a dozen, with a number of them holding signs, walked out of class at 11 a.m., marched around the courtyard, and then down to the intersection of Warren and Westbourne streets.

Reardon and other administrators were outside of the school as the students exited, strategically placed at locations to ensure their safety.

While standing on the south side of Warren Street, a number of drivers honked their horns as they drove by. Three of the protesters, Fiona, Rosie, and Ada, had varying reasons for staging the walkout.

Holding a sign that said, “We Earned This,” Fiona said Reardon made the decision without any input from students, parents, and the school board.

“We would like it fixed,” she said. “We would like our privileges reinstated.”

Rosie said she did not feel safe in the school all the time — and raised the issue of accusations of teacher-student rapes at the school during the past few years.

“It’s been a different way the last three years of high school,” she said. “They just decided to change it without informing anyone or taking anyone else's decisions into consideration … it’s not right.”

A little while later, the three students were joined by more students who also raised other issues — including a homecoming dance planned to be held outside with no disc jockey. The students said they did not have any time or preparation to raise money for a disc jockey either. The students have met with some of the school board members and they hoped they would take action on the issue.

“I don’t think it’s right that we have to sit by and watch our privileges be taken away,” Ada added. “We had to go through … seeing all the previous seniors have their open campus privileges to leave and now we don’t get to have (them) … we have been so excited to get here and now we don’t have it.”

Reardon said administrators would be meeting on Friday to review a proposal submitted by senior leaders concerning the lack of an open campus, moving around the building, and communication between administration and students.

After that, he said, administrators would meet with students again to discuss the proposals.

Reardon reiterated the issue was a teaching moment for all, including the students who protested, even though he did not seem pleased with the protest.

“I wish there was a little communication between them and us,” he said, “which has been zero.”

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