Falmouth High School in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Photo by John Phelan, courtesy of Wikipedia.
School officials in Falmouth are facilitating a student walkout on Wednesday, March 14 to commemorate the one-month anniversary of the mass-shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida.
Some students at Falmouth High School on Cape Cod are planning to walk out of school sometime during the day Wednesday, March 14 for 17 minutes, in memory of the 17 students and staff members who died at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14.
‘The administration supports the efforts of our students to exercise their free speech rights and their well-thought out plan for a peaceful, respectful event that is in no way intended to politically polarize our student body,” school administrators said in a written statement.
Students are not required to attend, the school officials said.
“This event is entirely voluntary in nature. Students have an equal right not to participate, and students choosing not to participate will not experience a disruption in their schedules,” the school officials said.
The statement is signed by Nancy R. Taylor, the superintendent of schools, and Mary W. Gans, the principal.
Some students have said they don’t want to go to school that day. School officials say anyone not at school will be granted an excused absence.
Falmouth School Committee members and Falmouth police officers and firefighters “have been invited to support this event,” but no one else is welcome.
“In the interest of safety, this is exclusively a school event. Community members not connected to the school district are not allowed to attend,” the school officials said in the statement.
Details about the event were not immediately available, but the superintendent and principal said they plan to offer more information this coming week.
“Please know that in developing and formalizing a plan, we are taking into account all precautions necessary to make this not only a safe event, but one that respects all students,” the administrators’ statement says.
Falmouth High School in Falmouth, Massachusetts. Photo by John Phelan, courtesy of Wikipedia. 
