RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - As schools around the country brace for student walkouts following the deadly shooting in Parkland, Florida, principals and superintendents are scrambling to perform a delicate balancing act: How to let thousands of students exercise their First Amendment rights while not disrupting school and not pulling administrators into the raging debate over gun control.
Some have taken a hard line, promising to suspend students who walk out, while others are using a softer approach, working with students to set up places on campus where they can remember the victims of the Florida shooting and express their views about school safety and gun control.
kAm$:?46 E96 u63] `c D9@@E:?8 2E |2C;@CJ $E@?6>2? s@F8=2D w:89 $49@@=[ 56>@?DEC2E:@?D 92G6 DACF?8 FA @? D49@@= 42>AFD6D 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ]k^Am
×
Please enable Javascript to allow our site to function, this will allow access to features like subscriber-only content.
kAmqFE E96 7:CDE =2C86\D42=6[ 4@@C5:?2E65 ?2E:@?2= 56>@?DEC2E:@? :D A=2??65 7@C (65?6D52J H96? @C82?:K6CD @7 E96 (@>6?VD |2C49 92G6 42==65 7@C 2 `f\>:?FE6 H2=<@FE[ @?6 >:?FE6 7@C 6249 @7 E96 `f DEF56?ED 2?5 DE277 >6>36CD <:==65 :? u=@C:52]k^Am
kAm}2E:@?2= 56>@?DEC2E:@?D 2C6 2=D@ A=2??65 7@C |2C49 ac[ H:E9 2 >2C49 @? (2D9:?8E@?[ s]r]j 2?5 @? pAC:= a_[ E96 `hE9 2??:G6CD2CJ @7 E96 r@=F>3:?6 w:89 $49@@= >2DD24C6 :? r@=@C25@]k^Am
kAm}@ >2EE6C 9@H D49@@=D 564:56 E@ 562= H:E9 E96 56>@?DEC2E:@?D[ DEF56?ED 92G6 366? C62DDFC65 3J w2CG2C5[ *2=6[ |x%[ E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 r@??64E:4FE[ &r{p 2?5 5@K6?D @7 @E96C 4@==686D 2?5 F?:G6CD:E:6D E92E E96:C A2CE:4:A2E:@? H@?VE 27764E E96:C 492?46D @7 86EE:?8 25>:EE65]k^Am
kAmqFE 7@C >:55=6\D49@@= 2?5 9:89\D49@@= 25>:?:DEC2E@CD[ 7:8FC:?8 @FE 9@H E@ 2==@H E96 56>@?DEC2E:@?D 5FC:?8 D49@@= 9@FCD 92D AC@G6? 492==6?8:?8] x? D@>6 42D6D[ :E 92D?VE 8@?6 D>@@E9=J]k^Am
kAmx? }665G:==6[ %6I2D[ ?62C w@FDE@?[ $FA6C:?E6?56?E rFCE:D #9@56D H2D 42DE:82E65 @? D@4:2= >65:2 27E6C 96 H2C?65 E92E DEF56?ED H9@ =62G6 4=2DD H@F=5 36 DFDA6?565 7@C E9C66 52JD[ 6G6? :7 E96J 86E A2C6?E2= A6C>:DD:@?]k^Am
kAmQ$wp|t[ $wp|t[ $wp|t ~} *~&[Q HC@E6 @?6 H@>2?]k^Am
kAmx? v2CC6ED@?[ $@FE9 s2<@E2[ 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 42?46=65 2 DEF56?E H2=<@FE A=2??65 7@C pAC:= a_ 27E6C 2 u2463@@< A@DE:?8 23@FE E96 A=2? 5C6H >@C6 E92? b__ ?682E:G6 4@>>6?ED 7C@> 25F=ED]k^Am
kAmp?5 :? pC:K@?2[ 5@K6?D @7 DEF56?ED 2E x?8=6D:56 |:55=6 $49@@=[ ?62C !9@6?:I[ H6C6 8:G6? @?6\52J DFDA6?D:@?D 27E6C E96J =67E 42>AFD @? u63] af]k^Am
kAm{2J=2 s67:32F89[ 2? 6:89E9\8C256 DEF56?E 2E x?8=6D:56[ D2:5 D96 H2?E65 E@ A2CE:4:A2E6 :? E96 H2=<@FE[ 3FE 5:5?VE 3642FD6 @7 E96 E9C62E6?65 DFDA6?D:@?D] $96 5@6D A=2? E@ ;@:? E96 (65?6D52J H2=<@FE[ 6G6? :E >62?D 86EE:?8 DFDA6?565]k^Am
kAmQxEVD :>A@CE2?E 7@C >6 E@ DA62< >J >:?5 @? E9:D E@A:4[Q D96 D2:5] QpE E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J[ E96J D9@F=5?VE 36 23=6 E@ AF?:D9 FD 7@C 6I6C4:D:?8 @FC u:CDE p>6?5>6?E C:89ED]Qk^Am
kAmpp$p[ %96 $49@@= $FA6C:?E6?56?ED pDD@4:2E:@?[ 92D 7:6=565 5@K6?D @7 42==D 2?5 6>2:=D 7C@> D49@@= 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 2D<:?8 7@C 25G:46[ H9:=6 E96 p>6C:42? r:G:= {:36CE:6D &?:@? 92D C646:G65 9F?5C65D @7 :?BF:C:6D 7C@> DEF56?ED 23@FE H92E E96:C C:89ED 2C6 2?5 :7 E96J 42? 36 5:D4:A=:?65 7@C A2CE:4:A2E:?8 :? E96 AC@E6DED]k^Am
kAm%96 2?DH6C 56A6?5D @? 6249 D49@@=VD 4@56 @7 4@?5F4E 2?5 5:D4:A=:?2CJ A@=:4:6D] v6?6C2==J[ E96 pr{& 92D 366? 25G:D:?8 DEF56?ED E92E 3642FD6 E96J 2C6 C6BF:C65 E@ 8@ E@ D49@@= 3J =2H[ 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 42? 5:D4:A=:?6 E96> 7@C F?6I4FD65 23D6?46D] qFE E96 pr{& 2=D@ E@=5 DEF56?ED :? 2? @?=:?6 EC2:?:?8 G:56@ E92E 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 42?VE AF?:D9 E96> >@C6 92CD9=J 3642FD6 @7 E96 A@=:E:42= ?2EFC6 @7 E96:C 56>@?DEC2E:@?D]k^Am
kAm%96 DFA6C:?E6?56?ED 2DD@4:2E:@? \ H9:49 :D DFAA@CE:?8 E96 pAC:= a_ H2=<@FE\ 92D 5C27E65 2 =:DE @7 DF886DE:@?D 7@C D49@@= 25>:?:DEC2E@CD[ :?4=F5:?8 9@=5:?8 2 E6249\:?[ 2 D49@@=\=65 H2=<@FE E@ 2 DA@E @? 42>AFD[ @C 2 D6DD:@? @? 3F==J:?8]k^Am
kAmQ%96C6 2C6 H2JD E@ 6?8286 2?5 92C?6DD E96 DEF56?ED :? 4:G:4 6?8286>6?E H:E9@FE 4@>AC@>:D:?8 A@=:4:6D :? A=246 @? 2EE6?52?46[ A2CE:4:A2E:@? 2?5 DEF56?E D276EJ[Q D2:5 }@6==6 t==6CD@? }8[ 2DD@4:2E6 5:C64E@C 7@C A@=:4J 2?5 25G@424J]k^Am
kAm$@>6 D49@@=D 92G6 6>3C2465 E96 H2=<@FED]k^Am
kAmx? |@@C6DG:==6[ x?5:2?2[ 25>:?:DEC2E@CD >6E H:E9 `_ 9:89\D49@@= DEF56?E =6256CD E@ H@C< @FE 2 A=2?] |@@C6DG:==6 w:89 $49@@= !C:?4:A2= qC:2? s:D?6J D2:5 E96 DEF56?ED A=2? E@ FD6 E96 D49@@=VD AF3=:4 255C6DD DJDE6> E@ C625 D9@CE DE2E6>6?ED 23@FE >6?E2= :==?6DD[ E96 :>A@CE2?46 @7 <:?5?6DD 2?5 DE2?5:?8 FA 282:?DE 2== D49@@= G:@=6?46 367@C6 :?G:E:?8 2== DEF56?ED E@ 82E96C :? 2 D49@@= 92==H2J 7@C `f >:?FE6D @7 D:=6?46]k^Am
kAmx? p??6 pCF?56= r@F?EJ[ |2CJ=2?5[ 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 2C6 DE:== E2=<:?8 H:E9 DEF56?ED 23@FE 9@H E96J 42? A2CE:4:A2E6 H:E9@FE G:@=2E:?8 D49@@= CF=6D]k^Am
kAmQx E9:?< H6 2== C62=:K6 E92E 7@C 7@=<D H9@ 2C6 E66?286CD C:89E ?@H[ E9:D 4@F=5 H6== 36 2 567:?:?8 >@>6?E :? E96:C =:G6D] (6 H2?E E@ G6CJ >F49 6?4@FC286 2?5 6>A@H6C DEF56?E G@:46D] %92E D2:5[ :E 92D E@ 36 5@?6 :? H2JD E92E 2C6 D276 2?5 2AAC@AC:2E6[Q D2:5 DA@<6D>2? q@3 |@D:6C]k^Am
kAm$@>6 D49@@=D 2C6 E2<:?8 2 >:55=6 8C@F?5[ ?6:E96C 6?4@FC28:?8 ?@C 5:D4@FC28:?8 DEF56?ED 7C@> A2CE:4:A2E:?8] x? w6?C:4@ r@F?EJ[ ':C8:?:2[ ?62C #:49>@?5[ 25>:?:DEC2E@CD D6?E 2? 6>2:= E@ A2C6?ED D2J:?8 E96J 2C6 ?@E D2?4E:@?:?8 E96 (65?6D52J H2=<@FE[ 3FE 766= @3=:82E65 E@ >2?286 E96 6G6?E 3642FD6 @7 :ED 962GJ AC@>@E:@? @? D@4:2= >65:2] |:55=6\D49@@= AC:?4:A2=D 2D<65 A2C6?ED E@ D:8? 2 v@@8=6 5@4F>6?E DE2E:?8 H96E96C E96J 8:G6 E96:C 49:=5C6? A6C>:DD:@? E@ A2CE:4:A2E6] $49@@=D A=2? E@ AC@G:56 42>AFD =@42E:@?D 7@C E96 H2=<@FE]k^Am
kAmx? $@>6CG:==6[ |2DD249FD6EED[ DEF56?ED D2J E96J H@?VE DE@A 27E6C 2 D:?8=6 H2=<@FE] %96JVG6 DE2CE65 2 H66<=J >@G6>6?E E96J 9@A6 H:== <66A AF3=:4 2EE6?E:@? 7@4FD65 @? D49@@= D276EJ 2?5 AFE AC6DDFC6 @? =2H>2<6CD E@ A2DD DEC:4E6C 8F? 4@?EC@= =2HD] %96 H2=<@FED H:== 36 96=5 6G6CJ (65?6D52J[ D2:5 p?:<2 }2J2<[ `e[ 2 DEF56?E @C82?:K6C]k^Am
kAmQ(6VC6 C62==J ;FDE 765 FA H:E9 E96 =24< @7 24E:@? E92EVD 366? E2<6? :? @FC 4@F?ECJ[Q }2J2< D2:5]k^Am
kAmQ(6 5@?VE E9:?< 6?@F89 A6@A=6 2C6 =:DE6?:?8]Qk^Am