Like all U.S. citizens, students at Riverside Brookfield High School have certain freedoms guaranteed under the Constitution, including First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and assembly.
But departing campus during a school day in the name of those rights carries consequences, according to principal Dr. Hector Freytas.
In a letter delivered to parents and students in February, those consequences are outlined for students, including being assessed an unverified absence that can’t be cleared by a parent or guardian. Students leaving during a test or quiz won’t be allowed a makeup, and they won’t be permitted back in school for the remainder of the day or for after-school activities.
For seniors, leaving could also result in losing a final exam exemption, a privilege students gain by achieving a high grade in a given subject or a pre-set ACT score in that subject.
“We’re not about suspending kids, that doesn’t get what we want to achieve, but at the same time, we believe in accountability and safety,” Freytas said, adding there has not been a walkout or demonstration during this school year.
But in a statement to the board of education Feb. 24 responding to the district letter, parent Dave Barsotti pointed out that students have a constitutional right to protest things with which they do not agree.
“I spoke to my wife, who is here tonight, and I spoke to our daughter about her possible participation in a school walkout to protest the unjust and possibly and potentially illegal actions of ICE,” Barsotti said, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Her mother and I told her that we will fully support her in whatever decision she makes,” he said. “We have also told her, and others, that when we feel the school abuses its power to punitively punish students by taking away special privileges for exercising their constitutional rights, then they have every right to use school rules to their advantage.”
As an example, why should students walk out when they could elect not to go to school that day, thus theoretically avoiding an unverified absence?
“Per the student handbook and Illinois law, students can take a mental health day or attend significant events without any consequences,” Barsotti said. “However, why do we need to play this stupid game, when all the students want is a better world?”
Freytas said he agrees with the First Amendment and freedom of speech, “but we have to hold students accountable if they leave campus without permission.
“It’s written in our policies and procedures,” he said. “Other kids could play hooky and go home. You have to be in school. That’s our charge.”
He said if school administration gets wind of a potential walkout, it attempts to meet proactively with the organizing students to understand what they are trying to achieve.
“If the students are decided to walk out, if (they) are reasonable, we’re open to allow them to gather in the stadium,” he said. “We’ve used it in the past for students who want to voice their feelings on climate change, school shootings.”
Freytas said the school has a good relationship with the police departments of the villages of Riverside and Brookfield and meet with them several times each year to discuss safety and security issues.
“We tell them, ‘There could be a walkout,’ they have always been responsive and a partner,” he said. “We give them the head’s up. We can’t involve ourselves outside of campus.”
Barsotti said there is a larger issue than school rules.
“The students of Riverside Brookfield High School are not just protesting for themselves … they are protesting to protect our rights,” Barsotti said. “It is utterly and absolutely unfair to punitively penalize any student that exercises their right to free speech.”
Point taken, Freytas said, but there are alternatives to student walkouts and demonstrations.
“There are more things that unite us than divide us, but a walkout that is not sanctioned midday (and) disrupts the learning environment, that’s not good for learning, not good for students,” he said. “I believe students can write emails or letters to leaders and they can attend public forums. There are plenty of events and moments that kids can attend and support.”