Charlotte-Area Schools Join National Walkout Against Gun Violence

CHARLOTTE, NC — A wide variety of protest and memorials will be held across the country on Wednesday, March 14 to honor the 17 people who were gunned down in the Feb. 14 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida and as part of the national movement to call for stronger gun laws. Several Charlotte-metro area high schools, administrators are embracing the efforts of students seeking to pay their respects to the victims in a way that works with the school's operations.

The March 14 walkout, which will coincide with the National School Walkout day, is scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. at sites across the country, according to the main campaign website.

Charlotte area schools planning walkouts include Whitewater Middle School, Community House Middle School, Ardrey Kell High School, and more. You can find a full list of schools participating in the walkout by clicking here.

SEE ALSO: No Guns In Classrooms, Says NC's Education Superintendent

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools have asked schools to not discipline students participating in the walkouts, WFAE reported.

Tuesday, the school district weighed in on the issue of arming teachers, saying it was in “strong opposition” to the idea.

“The voices of the vast majority of educators, families and law enforcement officials have been heard - teachers do not want to be armed, parents and students do not want guns in their classrooms and police officers do not want more guns on school campuses,” CMS said.

SEE ALSO: North Carolina's Schools Received $546K From NRA

Students are planning a variety of events to mark the walk-out. Students at Independence High School in Mint Hill, NC are planning to meet on the football field, where they will lay roses as the Florida victims names are read, WFAE said. In Cornelius, students will run laps around the track at Hough High School, and Myers Park High School students will hold a vigil.

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, Mooresville High School students leave class and spend 17 minutes in the school’s gym writing letters to victims and elected officials so they can share their ideas for stricter gun control and improved school safety.

"They felt the urge to do something," Mooresville High School Principal Eric Schwarzenegger told Patch. "They see this as obviously a national issue and also a personal one because they attend school everyday."

Tuesday, ACLU North Carolina urged school systems across the state to support students who wanted to participate in the event.

SEE ALSO: How Much Cash NC's Delegation Gets In Gun Control Debate

“In this rare moment it is incumbent on all of us to support, rather than suppress, their civic participation-to show them that their voices matter,” the organization’s legal director and staff attorney said in an open letter to North Carolina school administrators and officials. “We encourage you as educators to guide your students toward healthy civic engagement and to teach them the value and history of peaceful protest in creating change in our great nation.”

Did you or your kids participate in the school walk out? Tell us about it in the comment section.

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