Does anyone have the low down on the walk out by the Nelson Co. student body in protest of the firing of Coach Mason?

Wow? I would like to know as well.

Can anybody confirm this rumor?

Yes it happened; It is on the WHAS 11 website; they walked out over the firing of Bill Mason and for the new dress code.

Thanks Longhornman.

 

Link to broadcast.

 

140 Students sat in the gym and refused to go to class to protest the dress code and the coach's firing. It was called a "sit in".

Thanks Longhornman.

 

Link to broadcast.

 

140 Students sat in the gym and refused to go to class to protest the dress code and the coach's firing. It was called a "sit in".

 

It was more like 200+ students. One of them called me yesterday during the protest. The reason was the firing of Mason, but also generally the Superintendant's poor management and policies, and the lack of athletic support by the administration at the school. The rumor has gotten around about the alleged reaosn for Mason's "firing," which are petty, cheap, and obviously driven by political motives.

 

The school marked the kids absent, but then would not let them leave. They locked several into the cafetaria, until the police were called. They refused to let the media in to interview the students.

 

Although this protest was not particularly well-organized, it was good at least to see some spirit by the Nelson student body, which has been dead for years. :scared:

It was more like 200+ students. One of them called me yesterday during the protest. The reason was the firing of Mason, but also generally the Superintendant's poor management and policies, and the lack of athletic support by the administration at the school. The rumor has gotten around about the alleged reaosn for Mason's "firing," which are petty, cheap, and obviously driven by political motives.

 

The school marked the kids absent, but then would not let them leave. They locked several into the cafetaria, until the police were called. They refused to let the media in to interview the students.

 

Although this protest was not particularly well-organized, it was good at least to see some spirit by the Nelson student body, which has been dead for years. :scared:

I believe by state law they are not allowed to let the media interview the students unless parent permission has been given.

 

And from 17 years of dealing with HS students, I would estimate that 30% were there to protest and 70% thought it would be real cool and/or they would get out of class.

I believe by state law they are not allowed to let the media interview the students unless parent permission has been given.

 

And from 17 years of dealing with HS students, I would estimate that 30% were there to protest and 70% thought it would be real cool and/or they would get out of class.

 

Most of the students had permission. The school board refused to acknowledge that. They also confiscated a camera one had brought in. The students knew the consequences and were willing to accept them, however, locking them in the school after they were marked absent was illegal. You're either absent or you aren't. Somehow I think when its all said and done the absents won't be marked because the school would miss their $ because of that.

Most of the students had permission. The school board refused to acknowledge that. They also confiscated a camera one had brought in. The students knew the consequences and were willing to accept them, however, locking them in the school after they were marked absent was illegal. You're either absent or you aren't. Somehow I think when its all said and done the absents won't be marked because the school would miss their $ because of that.

1)Permission from whom? How did the school know they had permission because the student said they did?

2)The school would have been liable if the student's had arrived on the school grounds and then been allowed to leave without permission from the parent. A note would have had to been verified, probably, by a phone call to the parent.

3)Attendance in about 100% of the schools in KY are taken in homeroom. You are not in homeroom and you are marked absence. From your post, they were not in homeroom.

4)I would agree that unless the students ended up leaving for the day, they will not be marked absent. How long did they stay in the gym?

1)Permission from whom? How did the school know they had permission because the student said they did?

2)The school would have been liable if the student's had arrived on the school grounds and then been allowed to leave without permission from the parent. A note would have had to been verified, probably, by a phone call to the parent.

3)Attendance in about 100% of the schools in KY are taken in homeroom. You are not in homeroom and you are marked absence. From your post, they were not in homeroom.

4)I would agree that unless the students ended up leaving for the day, they will not be marked absent. How long did they stay in the gym?

 

1) In at least a couple of instances, they had written notes. In a couple of others, they phoned the parents, and it was discussed. Apparently, the sit-in had been planned for a week or so. Certaibly, the majority of the students elected to sit-in that day, and parental permission was on the students' say-so, but not all.

2) I agree about the potential liability, but the school then cannot mark them absent and give them zeroes, but then say they cannot go. Its one or the other, not both. Physically chaining them into the building is false imprisonment.

3) They were not in homeroom, they were sitting-in.

4) Interestingly, and in what I consider to be the worst move of the day, after unchaining the doors to the cafeteria and letting them out, they were told since they were absent they could not return to the cafeteria. It was when they went across the street to get food that they were told they could not leave campus. Instead the sit-in was left to a roaming of the hallways. IMO, they were better off leaving the students in the cafeteria and letting them do whatever they want there.

 

Bottom line, the students had every right to protest, and to accept the consequences of their actions. I for one applaud them. I think it was Jefferson who said that "a little revolution is a healthy thing" every once in a while, and things are bad at Nelson. The response to the "protest" was botched by the school officials, who really should not be blamed because after all, how often do you see this in KY?

What's the reason for the firing of the coach?

You know the handling of the situation could be another opportunity for us all to learn how public schools have to operate versus how private schools have to operate.

You know the handling of the situation could be another opportunity for us all to learn how public schools have to operate versus how private schools have to operate.

Great observation. :thumb:

You know the handling of the situation could be another opportunity for us all to learn how public schools have to operate versus how private schools have to operate.

 

Quit, YOU will hurt the brick wall.