Spring-Ford Walkout Organizers Feel 'Silenced' By Administration

LIMERICK, PA — What began as a walkout coordinated with other events around the nation to call for stricter gun laws has been muted by the Spring-Ford administration into something else, according to student organizers.

In a letter sent to the school community on Saturday, Spring-Ford Superintendent David Goodin said that the school was working with student leaders who wanted a "quiet remembrance" in the school's auditorium for the 17 lives lost in the most recent school massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. However, according to both the National Student Walkout and Spring-Ford student leaders, the demonstration is meant to be much more than a memorial.

"We planned on having our walkout be about guns, but the school would like us to only talk about policy at a private after school event, and take the gun control aspect out of the walkout," the student committee told Patch. "The national message is supposed to be about having our voices heard, and it feels like the school is silencing not only us, but the issues."

The national campaign does not point to specific legislation, characterizing their stance only as "meaningful federal gun reform," but does very specifically demand "more than tweets of thoughts and prayers" - more than quiet remembrances - as a response.

Student committee members Kirsten Evans, Tyler Ryan, and Bernie Chec said that several local lawmakers had reached out to them to attend the event, including Pennsylvania State Senate candidate for District 44, Katie Muth. The school had said that no outside visitors would be permitted, but students had hoped that some exception could be worked out for Muth or Royersford Mayor Jenna Antoniewicz (who they invited), given their position. In an email to students, Muth vowed not to make her speech "political in nature" but to instead focus on the "importance of keeping students safe and how common sense gun reform will help save lives across our state."

>>Spring-Ford Students Plan Walkout In Call For Stricter Gun Laws

In an emailed response to the students' request, Assistant Superintendent Allyn J. Roche reiterated to students that no outside visitors would be permitted during the 10 a.m. event or during the planned after school "open forum." In his letter to the school community, Goodin said that the policy was a matter of safety, but did not address how allowing community leaders to speak at an open forum would compromise that directive.

Royersford Mayor Jenna Antoniewicz said that she was invited by students to attend but had a prior engagement - reading at the Play & Learn Preschool for the Read Across America event - but that she supports their work.

"I've been following these students' efforts on social media, and I have to say I'm inspired by their motivation to step up and bring together their peers for a reflective gathering during this time," Mayor Antoniewicz told Patch. "I believe our students and their counterparts across the country are sending a powerful message. The students invited me as a member of their community and I support their efforts."

For the event itself, students had been planning to have the walkout held in a side lobby, but said that the administration nixed the idea and wanted the event to occur in an area that would be "non-disruptive."

Students had never intended the event to be a criticism of the school district itself; in fact, quite the opposite. Last month, Evans even expressed hopes that teachers and administrators would even participate in the walkout in a display of unity of solidarity. Now, however, teachers will be deployed in a chaperon role only, supervising students who leave class. Goodin said that the rest of the teachers will remain in classrooms with students who do not participate in the event.

"Students will not be disciplined for honoring the young lives lost, as long as students remain peaceful, respectful and remain in the building," the letter states, leaving open the door for punitive action for students who do not comply with the administration's expectations for the event.

Hundreds of similar walkouts and demonstrations are expected to take place on Wednesday around southeastern Pennsylvania and across the country.

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