Indian River County School District public information officers recently confirmed students at Sebastian River Middle School were disciplined for participating in a walk out around noon, Feb. 21, which was promoted nationally on social media as a means to show solidarity with Stoneman Douglas High School students.
“The SRMS students who left campus received consequences following our District Code of Conduct for tardiness to their next class,” school district public information officer Cristen McMillan said.
Principal Jodi Idlette sent an email to teachers stating it was “for your eyes only” around 10 a.m., a few hours before the walk out.
After consulting with “district administration” and “law enforcement,” Idlette said school administrators and law enforcement would “monitor students ‘walking out,’ at both interior and school property perimeter locations, in order to provide security and police presence as much as possible. Additional police units will respond.”
Teachers were to maintain their “classroom routines,” Idlette said, taking attendance, “even if no students are there.”
Students “may not return to class in the middle of a class period. They may return to class during the next proper class change,” Idlette said.
Students returning between classes would be “encouraged to go to gymnasium,” the message to be delivered to those students by “voice/bull horn, but will not be over PA. This is so students remaining in class are not disturbed.”
There was no reference to punishment in Idlette’s email to teachers.
McMillan did not confirm how many students walked out and were punished, nor what punishment was given.
Idlette did not respond to a request for comment.