Students protest at school board meeting
A dramatic anti-military recruitment rally unfolded at the Seattle School Board meeting on Wednesday night.
The meeting was interrupted by dozens of students who loudly chanted anti-recruitment phrases, including "recruiters out." Several of the students, in an attempt to portray dead soldiers, sprawled out on the floor.
The school board refused to meet amid the disruption and demanded the kids move back.
"It's OK, it's OK. I want to say this is what democracy looks like. But this is not what a school board meeting looks like," said board member Darlene Flynn.
After an unheeded final warning, board members left behind the rowdy crowd and moved the meeting to a quiet room, angering the students.
"You should be ashamed! You should be ashamed!" the students shouted. The students claim recruiters target low-income and minority students.
"I've had recruiters lie to me and my friends," said Shanay Salas, one of the protesting students. "They say you'll never go to combat. They say free college, jobs for life but really these things aren't true."
But Marine Corps. Commanding Officer Forrest Pool insists recruiters abide by strict rules set out by the high schools. Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, military recruiters are lumped with college recruiters, which grants them equal access. In return, the school district receives $40 million in federal funding.
"Since that's a considerable part of budget - federal funds, we are not in a position to say no access to recruiters unless we say no access to college recruiters," said Brita Butler-Wall, a school board member.
The meeting was interrupted by dozens of students who loudly chanted anti-recruitment phrases, including "recruiters out." Several of the students, in an attempt to portray dead soldiers, sprawled out on the floor.
The school board refused to meet amid the disruption and demanded the kids move back.
"It's OK, it's OK. I want to say this is what democracy looks like. But this is not what a school board meeting looks like," said board member Darlene Flynn.
After an unheeded final warning, board members left behind the rowdy crowd and moved the meeting to a quiet room, angering the students.
"You should be ashamed! You should be ashamed!" the students shouted. The students claim recruiters target low-income and minority students.
"I've had recruiters lie to me and my friends," said Shanay Salas, one of the protesting students. "They say you'll never go to combat. They say free college, jobs for life but really these things aren't true."
But Marine Corps. Commanding Officer Forrest Pool insists recruiters abide by strict rules set out by the high schools. Under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, military recruiters are lumped with college recruiters, which grants them equal access. In return, the school district receives $40 million in federal funding.
"Since that's a considerable part of budget - federal funds, we are not in a position to say no access to recruiters unless we say no access to college recruiters," said Brita Butler-Wall, a school board member.