Just one student walked out of New Jersey’s Sayreville War Memorial High School to protest gun violence after the district threatened to suspend those participating in the nationwide walkout.
Sophomore Rosa Rodriguez walked out of the school Wednesday morning, while hundreds of others gathered in the school’s auditorium to mark the occasion, according to New York’s 1010 WINS.
Students nationwide participated in a walkout to mark one month since the Parkland, Fla., school shooting, where 17 people were killed and more than a dozen others were injured.
{mosads}Sayreville Public School District was one of several districts nationwide to threaten students with disciplinary action for participating in protests. District officials said they would issue two-day suspensions to students who participated in the walkout, according to a letter from the New Jersey ACLU.
The American Civil Liberties Union called on school leaders nationwide to embrace the protests and not discipline students.
“Rather than seeking to silence students’ political engagement and quashing their desire for conversation, schools can approach this moment as an opportunity for learning about civic action,” the organization said in a statement.
Hundreds of colleges and universities have vowed not to institute disciplinary action related to gun violence protests against applicants.
In the weeks since the Florida shooting, students nationwide have led protests and marches to demand gun control legislation and call out lawmakers who have accepted donations from the National Rifle Association.
The March for Our Lives, organized by survivors of the Florida shooting, will take place in Washington, D.C., on March 24. Local marches are also planned in cities nationwide.