College urges profs to facilitate gun control walkout

A senior administrator at Palm Beach State College in Florida recently encouraged faculty members to participate in an upcoming march calling for stricter gun control legislation. 

In a March 5 email obtained by Campus Reform, Vice President of Academic Affairs Roger Yohe notified faculty members of the March 14 “#Enough! National Student Walkout” being coordinated by the organizers of the Women’s March in response to the tragic Parkland, Florida shooting. 

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“Organizers are urging students, faculty, and staff across the country to walk out of their classrooms and offices and stand outside for 17 minutes; one minute for each victim,” Yohe’s email states, advising professors to “please organize that day’s class with some flexibility, anticipating that some or all of your students, as well as yourself, may wish to walk out.”

“At the conclusion of the 17 minutes, an intercom announcement on each campus will direct everyone to return to class or their workstation,” the email adds, instructing professors to “check your college email on March 12 for campus-specific instructions on facilitating the walkout.”

The national website for the upcoming demonstration declares that “students and allies are organizing the national school walkout to demand Congress pass legislation to keep us safe from gun violence at our schools, on our streets, and in our homes and places of worship.”

“Congress must take meaningful action to keep us safe and pass federal gun reform legislation that address the public health crisis of gun violence,” the description concludes. “We want Congress to pay attention and take note: many of us will vote this November and many others will join in 2020.”

Campus Reform reached out to both Yohe and the university for comment on the matter, but did not receive a response in time for publication. 

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