Cheyenne school walkout support sparks debate

CHEYENNE – The community is split following an announcement that the local school district would support possible student walkouts in its high schools.

Laramie County School District 1 administrators said Thursday they would allow student walkouts against school violence March 14 while monitoring the activities and making them into educational experiences.

Tracey Kinney, LCSD1’s assistant superintendent of instruction, stated, “Violence doesn’t support social progress. We’ve known that for a long time. And we want our students to understand that they do have a voice.”

Following the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that killed 17 people in Parkland, Florida, survivors of the shooting began speaking up through social media and traditional media.

Students nationwide followed the example, rallying on social media to stage nationwide protests of gun violence and existing gun laws.

One of those is the March 14 National School Walkout, which has its own Twitter account and is supported by Women’s March. The walkout is planned to last 17 minutes – one for each of the 17 victims in Parkland.

Following a story published Friday in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, some local residents supported the district and some forcefully criticized the administrators.

In fact, throughout Friday and Monday, Kinney received a stream of somewhat threatening phone calls.

LCSD1 Superintendent John Lyttle said people called about gun control and made comments such as, “You’d better watch your back.”

Some opponents of the administrators’ decision argued online that the district was supporting gun control efforts by supporting the students. Some said the event would be fair only if students also are allowed to demonstrate in favor of the Second Amendment.

Mary Quast, LCSD1’s community relations director, issued an official statement from the district Monday.

“The primary goal is to keep students safe. The theme of the culminating event is school safety, not any particular political agenda,” the statement said. “The event is to promote non-violence in schools and is not intended for administrators to support pro- or anti-gun positions.”

LCSD1’s statement repeated Kinney’s announcement Thursday that, leading up to the event, students will receive instruction that aligns with the state’s social studies standards.

Lyttle said the instruction will focus on freedom of speech and freedom to assemble, as protected by the First Amendment, but he didn’t rule out instruction on the Second Amendment.

“We do, in our social studies classes, teach all of the amendments, so if it’s relevant to this, I’m sure they’ll cover it,” he said.

Lyttle added that he and his administrators discussed the district’s position with school principals before making a decision, but they did not discuss it with the Board of Trustees.

“This is the day-to-day running of the school district. We felt with the timeliness that we needed to respond, so the administration made this decision,” he explained.

The Board of Trustees handles the governance of the school district, not the day-to-day operations.

Lyttle said the trustees could choose to change the decision at the board meeting Monday if they disagree.

Out of the online discussion, which continues on social media, some parents and residents decided to take up the side of the discussion they feel is missing.

Patti Felzien began an effort to organize local parents to stage a counterprotest to support the Second Amendment.

“Our stance is not pro-gun. It is pro-Second Amendment. We are asking that all of our children be given the right to be able to demonstrate and stand for their own beliefs and that both sides of the issue be heard equally,” she said.

Felzien said she wasn’t yet sure how many people planned to join the Second Amendment demonstration and can’t speak for every person. However, she added that she expects the group to meet to solidify plans within the next couple of days and would have more information then.

Felzien said the group plans to undertake the demonstration “peacefully, respectfully and legally.”

Lyttle said that, although he and his administrators are sticking with their decision to support the student demonstrations, they are changing their position slightly – the demonstrations now will be held inside the buildings.

“With people doing counterprotests, I just don’t think it’s going to be safe outside,” he said.

Lyttle added that students who choose to leave school grounds to join the counterprotests will be subject to disciplinary procedures.

LCSD1’s statement said, “The primary objective is to help students responsibly find a voice within a safe environment, whatever their positions may be.”

Lyttle explained, “If they don’t agree with the other kids, they have a right to state that in the interior of the school.”

According to the statement, each school will determine how best to manage the demonstrations among the staff members and student leaders. The statement also noted that student participation is optional.

Some residents believe LCSD1 is handling the possible student walkouts exactly right.

Wendy Buehler said, “I don’t care what (the students are) protesting. They have a right to protest. But it’s also a pretty big deal. I think they’re getting tired of worrying about being shot at.”

Buehler said she doesn’t have students in LCSD1, but she does have stepchildren who are high school students in another state.

“I worry about them all the time for this reason. If they were doing the same thing, I would support it wholeheartedly,” she said.

Buehler said she enjoys owning guns, but she agrees with students that something needs to be done about violence in schools.

“I don’t think there is any easy answer. I’m not sure taking guns away is the right thing, but we have to do something, whatever that might be,” she said.