On April 20, Brown County High School senior Grace Jackson stood before about 100 of her peers to ask for a moment of silence for school shooting victims.
For 17 minutes, students gathered in the Larry C. Banks Memorial Gymnasium.
“By gathering here today, we hope to pressure our elected officials to pass legislation regulating the use of firearms, thereby setting the agenda on our terms,” Jackson said.
The district-sanctioned demonstration was about “letting lawmakers know we have a voice,” Jackson said.
“It’s not about stopping all guns from being sold, or repealing the Second Amendment. It’s about responsible gun ownership, and not allowing assault rifles or military-grade weapons to be so easily bought, in order to keep our schools safe and to protect our learning environment.”
Brown County Schools had allowed these student-led events to take place in the intermediate, junior high and high schools on this second national school walkout day. BCS had been on spring break during the first walkout day in March. April 20 was chosen nationally because it’s the anniversary of the 1999 shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado.
Brown County’s events were peaceful, said Superintendent Laura Hammack. No other demonstrations took place inside or outside the buildings. One police car stood by in the parking lot between the intermediate and high schools, just in case any help was needed.
Students who attended the event at BCHS had differing opinions on gun rights. At least one student attended wearing a National Rifle Association T-shirt, Jackson said.
“There was one girl who stood up and talked about how guns don’t hurt people; it’s humans who hurt people. That’s fine. She had that right. We all clapped for her, just like anyone else who stood up,” Jackson said.
“That was her opinion and it was fine. There was no persecution. Nothing happened. She stated her opinion and it was great. That’s why I think it went so well, because everyone was welcomed to speak. I was glad people were motivated and had the courage to go up and speak.”
Supreme Court case law and the Constitution afford students the right to demonstrate in public schools, Hammack said. If other students were to ask to put on a similar event in the future, she said she’d look at the situation “on an individualized basis.” Since this was a national event, “I believe that mobilized students a little bit more,” she said.
Read more about this event in the April 25 Brown County Democrat.
ABOUT THIS STORY
Because of concerns about students’ safety, the intermediate school, junior high and high schools were closed to visitors, including news media, while the student-led walkout was taking place.
In order to allow The Democrat to still report on this event, Superintendent Laura Hammack offered to have high school Principal Shane Killinger find upper-class students to volunteer for interviews.
The Democrat asked to speak with students who participated in the walkout and students who opted not to about their reasons for making that choice.
Only one student, walkout organizer Grace Jackson, volunteered to be interviewed after the event.
Anyone inside the schools was legally able to share photos, Hammack said. BCHS student newspaper The Talon sent photos from the high school gym. Jackson gave reporters a copy of her speech, and Jackson and Hammack described what happened at the high school.
Public school districts have the right to control who comes and goes from school buildings.
The intense emotions associated with this issue were what prompted Hammack’s safety concerns. She talked with the student organizers about moving the event inside, and they made the choice to do so, she said.
Editor Sara Clifford contributed to this story.
