170 Walk Out Of Union Grove High School For Parkland

RACINE COUNTY, WI — On the sunny-yet-brisk morning of Wednesday, March 14, about 170 Union Grove High School students walked out of class at about 10 a.m. to participate in the National School Walkout - just as high schools across the U.S. did the same.

Union Grove High School student Destiny DeVooght said she went to school administration, including superintendent Al Mollerskov prior to Wednesday's event to talk about potential consequences for students who would participate in the walkout. Although Mollerskov and fellow administrators made sure to say that the walkout was not a school-sponsored event, he told the Burlington Standard-press that he supported the students' right to conduct a peaceful protest.

At 10 a.m., Wednesday, the group met inside of the school, and then walked out onto the football field together. The students gathered near the bleachers of the football field in the back of the school. DeVooght said during the ceremony that she named off those that died in Parkland, and then observed a moment of silence. "Overall, the response was great," she said.

The walkout came about two weeks after a 15-year-old Union Grove High School student was taken into custody by authorities for making threatening statements. On Feb. 26, the Racine County Sheriff's Office received a call from Union Grove High School reporting that a student had thoughts of, "shooting up the school." According to sheriff's officials, this information was conveyed to other students. Reports stated that the student suspected of being bullied was the one that made the threatening statements.

Submitted Photos, Published With Permission