The Atlanta suburb of Cobb County plans to take disciplinary action against protesting students — ranging from Saturday school to five days’ suspension per district guidelines.
But while the district doesn’t support the walkouts, some parents do.
A group of about a dozen or so parents came out with signs to support their students at Walton High School.
They held signs reading “Student Will Change Congress” and “Children Over Guns.”
Campbell High, another school in Cobb County, sent out an announcement that said any students who chose to “disrupt the normal operation of a school may be subject to consequences.”
But that didn’t stop the students from assembling, nor did it stop some teachers from giving its students their silent encouragement.
“The school had 17 minutes of silence, and every minute they read the name of one of the victims and a fact about them,” Catie Parker, a 17-year-old student at Campbell, told CNN. “In the bus parking lot, we formed a silent circle with our posters and stood in solidarity for those 17 minutes.”
When the 17 minutes were up, the students ran back to class in silence after they were warned the doors would be locked if they weren’t in classrooms by 10:19 a.m.
“Teachers nodded at us,” Parker said. “They aren’t really allowed to show their approval in any other way. And they rushed us back into class so we wouldn’t have to be punished.”
Once back in class, many sat in silent reflection. “It was a very emotional time for all of us.”