Sayreville Threatens 2-Day Suspension For Students Who Walk Out

SAYREVILLE, NJ — Sayreville public schools threatened a two-day suspension for any student who walked out of class on Wednesday.

Students across the country marked March 14, the one-month anniversary of the Florida school shooting, as a day of action. Many were planning walkouts at 10 a.m. to protest gun violence and some were calling for stricter gun laws.

Details at many New Jersey high schools were kept quiet, as administrators said they didn't want to put students' lives at risk by publicizing where and when walkouts will take place.

And many school districts across New Jersey have said there will be no punishment for kids who walk out of class. Districts such as East Brunswick, North Brunswick, South Brunswick and Middletown have all said they are working with students planning to walk out.

Not Sayreville.

The Sayreville Public School District planned to issue two-day out-of-school suspensions to high school students who participated in the nationwide walkout by claiming that such protest would amount to “failure to follow administrative direction” or “continued and willful disobedience," according to the NJ ACLU.

When Patch called, we were told Sayreville schools Superintendent Richard Labbe was not available to talk to the media. An email sent to him was not immediately returned.

The New Jersey division of the ACLU says Sayreville's policy is the most punitive in the state.

"It is the most punitive that we've heard of in New Jersey," said Amol Sinha, ACLU-NJ Executive Director. "It leads to absurd results: A student who skips her last class to go to a movie will be treated more leniently than one who leaves class for twenty minutes to make a political point."

"Instead of resorting to harsh discipline, school districts should embrace moments like this to teach the importance of civic engagement and democracy," she added.

The ACLU says they have been fighting Sayreville's policy since they first learned about it on March 5. The ACLU-NJ sent this letter (PDF) to Sayreville's school district attorneys on March 5. Following the Sayreville Board of Education meeting last Tuesday night, March 6, the School Board affirmed its plan to issue suspensions to students participating in the walkout, the ACLU said.

School districts across the state were handling the walkouts differently: Freehold Borough schools were requiring students who participate have their students sign a permission slip. Barnegat public schools were planning a "walk up - not out" day, where students are encouraged to sit with a kid who is alone at lunch or do other random acts of kindness, the Asbury Park Press reported.

Photo via the Sayreville school district.