David,

 

I think it is a good reference as to how we made the decision.  We do need to stay neutral, non-political and make it into a meaningful event for the memory of the 17 students/faculty members of Stoneman Douglas High School.  

 

I challenge you to go back to the Monday, February 26, 2018 Board of Education meeting.  I would reference the latter part of the school board meeting where individual board members gave their comments to the community.

 

Five of the six board members present asked the administration to support the National School Walk-Out on Wednesday, March 14, 2018 at 10:00.  Our administrative task has been to provide a safe and secure atmosphere for our students to have an event to Honor the Victims in Florida.  Our teachers will not participate in the event but will provide supervision both in the building and outside.  

 

We as an administrative team have always advocated for before and after school events when asked.  We feel like the Board Member public comments gave the permission to the students to participate in the National Walk-Out.  We value our classroom time and limit activities during the school day.

 

Since Monday, February 26, 2018, the administrative team has been working with the students and faculty members to find the right message, the right place to hold the event and to find the local law enforcement resources to protect our students. I have confidence in our administrative team, students and faculty members to make this happen. 

 

 We continue to advocate for students to make a choice whether they attend the event or stay in the school under supervision.  We believe the choice is important.

 

I appreciate your guidance and always look forward to your perspective.  

 

Thanks,

GCN

On Thu, Mar 8, 2018 at 1:54 PM, David Gardey <rdgardey@yahoo.com> wrote:

Dear Dr. Niehaus,

I am a resident of Grosse Pointe Farms and a parent of a Grosse Pointe South student.  I am very concerned that the school system is organizing and participating in the March 14 school walk-out, which is a political and partisan event.  I recognize that the school system appears to be trying to paint the March 14 event as a neutral, non-partisan memorial for those killed in the Parkland shooting.  However, I also can recognize this as the fiction that it is.  The March 14 event is a national event that is being organized by various progressive, left-wing, and gun control groups in an effort to advance a political agenda.  Inevitably, the planned advocacy by high school students at the event will be a rally for gun control.  Under these circumstances, it is problematic for the school system to be promoting and participating in this event.  At the very least, our school system should be politically neutral, staying out of partisan disputes.

Even aside from the impropriety of the school system taking sides in a highly controversial political battle, there is significant litigation risk for the school district from its actions.  The danger, that I think you recognize, is that the school district is engaging, or can be alleged to be engaged in, viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.  Inevitably, the school district is inviting various right-wing or conservative students to seek a walk-out or memorial event during instruction time on behalf of the victims of abortion or the Second Amendment.  When the school district rightfully declines to hold such an event, the district has thereby set itself up for a First Amendment lawsuit based on its sponsorship of the March 14 event.  I do not want to see school district dollars wasted paying lawyers to battle such a lawsuit when the whole issue could be avoided by the district not taking sides in the first place.  The other obvious problem with the district's participation in the March 14 walk-out is the indoctrination of school children on a partisan political issue.  The district should stay away from such political entanglements and avoid unnecessary litigation.

David Gardey