Last week America was shocked to hear of a California high school principal who greased the fence around the campus to keep kids from attending immigration marches. Now, yet another California principal is under attack for the absurd measures used to keep kids from exercising their First Amendment rights.
Worthington Elementary School Principal Angie Marquez was at a loss. There was nothing in the handbook that outlined "anti-protest" procedures. So in trying to keep her kids on campus during the March 27 rallies, she put her school into "nuclear attack" lockdown.
Kids were forced to stay in their classrooms all day. This meant no trips to the bathroom. Instead the kids were made to use a bucket.
Worthington parent Julia Campos didn't hear about the prison-like atmosphere at her son's school until he came home later that day. Some of her son's female friends were in tears.
"Many of them were crying because they felt embarrassed," she said. "One girl was afraid other kids would see her."
Tim Brown, the district's director of operations, said the principal's panicky reaction was an "honest mistake."
"When there's a nuclear attack, that's when buckets are used," Brown told the Times. The principal "followed procedure. She made a decision to follow the handbook. She just misread it."
Brown added that the school will be revising its emergency preparedness plans to include less severe restrictions.
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