ACLU Urges Harford County Schools Not To Ban Students From Walkout
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The superintendent of Harford County Public Schools announced last week that students would not be allowed to walk out of school on March 14 as part of the nationwide protest against school violence.
Now, the ACLU is getting involved.
"The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Maryland has written to Superintendent Barbara Canavan, cautioning that schools may not punish students more severely for leaving class to engage in free speech activity then they would for any other unexcused absence," according to a press release.
The letter that was sent to Harford County schools parents and students on March 7 ended with a line saying "Students who leave buildings may be subject to disciplinary action for disrupting school operations," but did not elaborate on the type of punishment that would be doled out.
The letter said the walkout would pose "a threat to student safety," but promised a "learning module" to help students share their feelings about recent school shootings "in a structured way."
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