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Last updated on Thursday, April 19, 2018
(BEDFORD) - Students at thousands of schools across the nation including Bedford North Lawrence are planning to stage walkouts Friday to mark the 19th year since the Columbine High School massacre - one of the deadliest high school shootings in our history.
That is until 17 people were killed after a Valentine's Day shooting in Parkland, Florida in February.
More than 2,300 events are planned for the National School Walkout.
A Connecticut high school student started planning the walkouts the day of the Florida shooting. Lane Murdock, a sophomore at Ridgefield High School, says she hopes this walkout will rejuvenate the #NeverAgain movement and continue the dialogue about gun-control measures, including a ban on assault-styled weapons.
Murdock, whose school is about 15 miles from Newtown, Conn., where 27 were killed in a rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012, said she planned the walkouts because of the shooting in Parkland at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.
There have been other protests since the Parkland shooting. More than a million people gathered for the March for Our Lives rallies in Washington and across the nation on March 24. On March 14, students staged the first nationwide walkout. And students talked gun control with lawmakers at town halls in recent weeks.
The National School Walkout is Friday, April 20 at 10 a.m. (the anniversary of the Columbine shooting). On April 20, 1999, 12 students and one teacher were killed at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado.
Students will take 13 seconds to honor the 13 killed at Columbine High School in 1999. After that, it's up to students what they decide to do next:
At Bedford North Lawrence parents received a letter expressing how the walkout will be handled. The following is that letter emailed to Bedford North Lawrence Middle School parents Wednesday night.
April 18, 2018
North Lawrence Community Schools have established protocol to be followed for the National Walk-Out being planned by some students for April 20, 2018. Allowing students the opportunity to have voices heard is an important part of the education process. Not to be overshadowed, however, is the importance of allowing every student the right to experience a normal school day. We feel, as educators, we have a duty to provide a safe educational environment first and foremost. We have consulted with and sought the advice of attorneys from the Indiana School Boards Association and wish to approach this matter with discretion, latitude and safety in mind. Therefore, while we remain neutral in our stance, we have offered to provide a venue on the campus that will allow us to provide security and supervision to those students who choose to participate in the event.
BMS students who elect to participate must go to and stay in the assigned area. Students will be held to normal operating procedures regarding attendance, as it is outlined in the Student Handbook. Students who follow this protocol will be allowed to participate in the event for one hour from 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. Students will then return to their regularly scheduled school day. Students not going to the assigned location will be considered truant and will be subject to normal disciplinary action as it pertains to the attendance policy.
Expectations for behavior and respect will remain consistent with those encouraged during any regular school day and students who do not meet those expectations will be subject to disciplinary action by BMS administrators as well.
Our concern for all students drives decisions regarding procedures established for Friday.
Mr. David Schlegel, Principal
Mrs, Kelly Storms Assistant Principal
Mrs. Becky Kleihege, Counselor
Mr. Josh Mullis, Athletic Director
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