East End Schools Plan For March 14 Walkout

Hundreds of students attending several East End schools are expected to participate in a nationwide walkout during classes on the morning of Wednesday, March 14, to honor the victims of last month’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.Students are planning to leave their classrooms at 10 a.m. and stand outside for 17 minutes—one minute for each of the 17 victims of the Valentine’s Day shooting. In addition to honoring the deceased, the nationwide event is intended to pressure Congress to pass stricter gun legislation.“Living in East Hampton, it can sometimes feel like we live in a bubble and it’s difficult to see what’s going on around us,” said Nina Gonzalez, a senior at East Hampton High School who intends to join many of her classmates at next week’s walkout, set to take place on the school’s turf field. “But just because we’re not of voting age doesn’t mean our voices can’t be heard.”“It’s about honoring the people whose lives were lost,” added Angelina Zingariello, a senior at Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School, who said she intends to participate in the event on March 14. She and two of her classmates are also now selling silicone wristbands for $3 each that pay tribute to the shooting victims; proceeds will later be donated to the families of the victims, who included 14 students.“Congress [needs] to do more than tweet thoughts and prayers in response to the gun violence plaguing our schools,” according to The Action Network, an event organization website urging East Hampton High School students to participate in next week’s walkout. “We are not safe at school. We need action.”In an email response on Monday, East Hampton Superintendent Richard Burns said his district’s Board of Education was scheduled to discuss the walkout at their meeting on the evening of Tuesday, March 6. He then declined to offer any additional information.The Parkland shooting marked the 30th mass shooting in 2018, according to the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings in the United States. It is also the worst school shooting since 26 people—20 first-graders and six adults—were murdered in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012.After learning of the scheduled walkout, many East End school district representatives said they will support students’ right to free speech and protest—and are even working with students to organize the events.Southampton Schools Superintendent Dr. Nicholas Dyno said he wants to allow students to express themselves in a respectful and organized manner. He said he has been in contact with members of student government and wants them to come up with a formal plan for next week’s walkout. At the same time, Dr. Dyno warned that those students who break away from the walkout and protest in other ways could face possible punishment if they create a scene.Eastport South Manor officials are taking a similar approach, according to ESM’s public relations advisor, Sean Rayburn. He said district administrators are working with the student advisory council, who are in charge of facilitating the walkout in an orderly fashion, to not disturb any students who wish to be excluded.Mr. Rayburn explained that the walkout could last longer than 17 minutes, as students plan to walk around the high school’s track in honor the of the Parkland shooting victims.He also stated that no disciplinary action would be taken against the students interested in participating in the organized event.“As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, allowing the students time to express empathy and connection to their peers in Florida, simply taking the time to notice one another. I think it sends a very powerful message to the community,” Eastport South Manor Superintendent Dr. Patrick Brimstein said on Monday. “We really want to help the students understand that we can make a difference.”In Hampton Bays, Schools Superintendent Lars Clemensen said on Tuesday that administrators are using the upcoming walkout as a “teachable moment,” adding that students will have multiple options on March 14. He explained that they can participate in the 17-minute walkout, write letters to elected officials or students at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, or remain in class.“I don’t see my students as looking for 17 minutes to get out of class—I give them much more credit then that,” Mr. Clemensen said. “The kids see themselves in those kids in Parkland.”He did note, however, that students who opt to stray from any of the organized events could face potential punishment.Other school officials said this week that they had not yet decided if they will punish those students who participate. Those students who walk out of class could have an unexcused absence put on their permanent record, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.“Currently, our principals are meeting with student government representatives to come up with a way to give students a productive outlet that is least disruptive to the school day as possible,” Westhampton Beach Schools Superintendent Michael Radday said on Tuesday.Still, he declined to say if those students would be punished or not. “There are no final plans yet,” Mr. Radday said.Fifth through eighth grade students at Springs School in East Hampton have also been working with administrators to coordinate an organized event to honor the 17 victims of the Parkland shooting, according to Superintendent Debra Winter. She noted that at 10 a.m. on March 14, her students will plant daffodils in the School Street school’s courtyard in remembrance. She noted that the event will not be open to public.Jeff Nichols, principal of the Pierson Middle/High School in Sag Harbor, said he met with members of the district’s student council last week to discuss how students could participate in the walkout—if they so choose. He added that those discussions were set to resume later this week, while also noting that the district could hold some sort of event in the auditorium on the same day.Michael Miller, principal of Bridgehampton School, told members of his district’s Board of Education last week that he is aware of a planned walkout, adding that students who want to participate will not face disciplinary action. At the same time, he is encouraging his students to participate in a separate planned memorial that is supposed to honor the victims of the Florida school shooting.Others in the community, such as Alex Kamp of Hampton Bays, do not agree with the walkout. Mr. Kamp, a gun advocate who says his son will be attending the Eastport South Manor Junior-Senior High School in the fall, also said he thinks all schools should have armed guards in them.It’s “the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard [of],” Mr. Kamp said on Monday, after learning about the upcoming walkout. “You [want to] stop this type of shooting? Put trained, armed guards in schools.“Everyone blames guns for these shootings,” he continued. “I’ve never heard of a drunk driving accident blamed on the car—the driver is blamed. I’ve never heard a terrorist bombing blamed on the bomb—the terrorist is blamed. But for some reason, [Nikolas Jacob] Cruz shoots up a school, and nobody blames him—it was the gun. Makes absolutely no sense.”