Students at an Ohio high school Wednesday walked out of class in protest of the local school board’s cancellation of “Diversity Day.”
Students at Turpin and Anderson High Schools, part of the Forest Hills School District, participated in the protest, according to footage from multiple news outlets.
A video from The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Luz Dufour shows students at Turpin High School holding signs and chanting.
“Do better, Forest Hills,” the students said.
Turpin high students protest Forest Hills School Board cancelling Diversity Day. @Enquirer #Diversity #DiversityDay pic.twitter.com/9uoMb7G506
— Liz Dufour (@ldufour) May 18, 2022
Another video from WCPO‘s Taylor Nimmo shows students listening while a speaker says school board members will be voted out if they do not adhere to the students’ demands.
Turpin High School students walked out after their second bell in a protest against the board’s decision to cancel Diversity Day. @WCPO pic.twitter.com/Kv03pVfdU5
— Taylor Nimmo (@tnimms) May 18, 2022
“Diversity Day” was postponed by the school board a month and a half ago to allow parents to review the agenda for the day and sign permission slips for students to attend. At the beginning of May, the event was canceled.
“The district recognizes and respects the rights of its students to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights to assemble peaceably and to express ideas and opinions,” the school district told WCPO.
School board members did not return The Ohio Star’s Wednesday comment requests.
According to the school, last year’s Diversity Day was organized by a Social Studies teacher called Jacob Goetz.
“The first goal is to help them remember something from yesterday, that something sticks with them and piques their interest, whether it was a comment, a story, or an activity,” Goetz said at the time. “The bigger picture is racial reconciliation and what that looks like personally for them and what they can do to make a difference. If yesterday serves as a launching point for them, then that’s a success for sure.”
More than 100 students participated remotely last year in a program that consisted of “guest speakers, video clips highlighting cultural and racial issues, group activities, and discussions around diversity.”
“We are proud of our Turpin Spartans for their participation and efforts to provide greater understanding and promote equality and inclusion!” the school said.
The cancellation of the event comes amid a fierce battle between parent protestors and school districts regarding Critical Race Theory (CRT), which teaches students through the lens of racial and sexual oppression.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Protest” by Liz Dufour.
