‘We’re calling you out’: Over 100 Liberty students walk out against Missouri bills
More than 100 students walked out Thursday of Liberty High School to protest bills being considered in the Missouri legislature.
The walkout was coordinated by students against measures that would prohibit schools from teaching critical race theory and bar anyone born as a male from participating in girls’ sports.
Liberty Says Gay, a Twitter account, announced the walkout on Sunday. The event was organized in response to House Bill 1474, House Bill 1997 and Senate Bill 781, according to the social media post.
“We see you ... What you’re doing isn’t acceptable. We’re calling you out ... Our school is a place of tolerance and acceptance. We’re going to fight to keep it that way,” the post said.
H.B. 1474 would forbid school curricula from “implementing critical race theory,” according to the proposal’s text. School districts would also be prohibited from teaching or affirming any claims in The 1619 Project, a New York Times initiative on the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans.
H.B. 1997 would reinstate a property tax on any land or personal property that uses solar energy.
S.B. 781 would bar transgender students assigned male at birth from participating in an athletic team or sport designated for girls.
Ahead of the walkout, Liberty High School Principal April Adams said in a letter to parents that students were participating to bring awareness to the legislation.
“We appreciate the students making us aware of their intent in advance, and their willingness to cooperate to not cause any disruptions to our regular school day. While this is not a school sponsored event, we want to always respect the voice of our students at LHS, as long as it is conducted in a respectful manner and does not interfere with our learning environment,” she wrote.
On Thursday, Liberty Public Schools spokesman Dallas Ackerman said over 100 students attended.
“The kids were all great and the school day began as normal,” he said.
