[Sosfbay-discuss] Join Cindy Sheehan in signing a petition to reverse expulsions of protesting students

[Curt Wechsler]

http://tinyurl.com/2nt8fs

Please circulate widely.

Media Alert: For Immediate Release 

Press Conference
9:30 AM, Tuesday, November 6
In front of Morton West High School, 2400 South Home Ave., Berwyn, Illinois

Parents Urge High School to Reverse Expulsions for Students Who Held ‘Day
of Dead’ Iraq War Protest
Petition in support of students draws signatures from Gold Star mom Cindy
Sheehan, peace activist Kathy Kelly, antiwar veterans, teachers, parents
and students across the nation. 
School administrators say they will expel dozens of students who took part
in peaceful school cafeteria sit-in to voice opposition to Iraq War – and
routine presence of military recruiters. 
Berwyn – Parents of Morton West High School students will gather for a
press conference at 9:30 AM Tuesday, November 6 in front of the school, to
urge school administrators to reverse their decision to expel dozens of
children who marked All Saints Day last week by staging a peaceful,
non-violent sit-in at the school cafeteria to voice opposition to the Iraq
War. 

The November 1 school cafeteria event served in part as a counterpoint in
the school setting to military recruiters on campus, who routinely visit
the high school cafeteria seeking to enlist young people into military
service. Dozens of students participated in the anti-war protest through
the course of the day. All Saints Day -- November 1 – is a revered holiday
in the Latino community, when families and friends traditionally gather to
honor dead loved onesloved ones.

Students complied with an administrator's request to move the action
outside the cafeteria after initially being assured that the only
disciplinary action they would face was citation for cutting classes. But
administrators have since issued formal expulsion notices to dozens of
students, suspended many more, and threatened to bring criminal charges
against students age 17 and older who participated in the anti-war action.

School administrators also put the school on lockdown briefly during the
All Saints Day protest. That action stands in stark contrast to
administrators’ response to a report of a student with a gun on campus last
month. In that incident, administrators chose not to lock down the school. 

At the press conference, parents and students will read a letter to the
superintendent demanding complete amnesty for the students before
delivering the letter to the School District 201 office. Administrators
have said they’ll issue final decisions on appeals of the suspensions, on
Tuesday – but also say expulsion orders still stand. The District 201
School Board will meet at 7PM at Morton East High School on Wednesday
evening, located at 2423 S. Austin in Cicero.

The students are marshalling national support through the blogosphere, the
Illinois Coalition for Peace & Justice (www.ilcpj.org) and a national
petition circulated by a local chapter of Students for a Democratic
Society. Signers include Gold Star mom Cindy Sheehan, anti-war activist
Kathy Kelly, authors Jeffrey St. Claire and Joshua Frank, a growing number
of anti-war military veterans, local Berwyn residents and teachers, and
supporters from New York to Oregon.

To view the national petition in support of the students, see this link:
www.petitiononline.com/mortonw/petition.html
For more information on the case, go to chicago.indymedia.org.