Over 70 students participated in a sit-in against the Iraq War on All Saint’s Day, Thursday, November 1st. It began third hour when dozens of students gathered quietly in the lunchroom at Morton West High School and refused to leave. The administrators and police became involved immediately and locked down the school for a half hour after class ended. Students report that they were promised that there would be no charges besides cutting classes if they took their protest outside so as not to disturb the school day. The students complied, and were led to a corner outside the cafeteria where they sang songs and held signs while classes resumed.
Despite a police line set up between the protesters and the student
body, many other students joined the demonstration. Organizers say they
chose November first because it is the Christian holy day called the
feast of All Saints and a national day of peace. They wrote a letter
and delivered it to Superintendent, Dr. Ben Nowakowski who was present
at the time, stating the reason for their protest.
Deans, counselors and even the Superintendent tried to change the minds
of a few, mainly those students with higher GPA scores to abandon the
protest. The school called the homes of many of the protesters. Those
whose parents arrived before the end of school and took their students
home, or left before the protest ended at the final bell, received 3-5
days suspension. All others, an estimated 37 received 10 days
suspension and expulsion papers. Parents report that Nowakowski stated
those who are seventeen will also face police charges.
Sign the “In Defense of the Morton West Antiwar Students petition”
Parents who are frantically trying to spare their child’s expulsion
flooded the school yesterday to file appeals on the matter. So far,
Superintendent Nowakowski has held firm on the punishments. They are
expected to find out the results of the appeals on Tuesday. Parents and
students report and the school’s videotape shown to some of the parents
confirms that the students were non-violent in their action and there
was no damage to property.
The protest came on the heels of a recent incident on October 15th,
when a student reported hearing that another student had a gun on
campus. The story of the eyewitness was deemed unreliable and the
school was not locked down. Later that week (October 19), the Berwyn
police, acting on a tip arrested one of the youths originally
questioned for gun possession and he allegedly confessed to carrying an
unloaded semi-automatic handgun that day. All these issues, plus the
expected announcement of whether uniforms will be established in the
school should make the next Board of Education meeting on Wednesday at
7:00pm at the Morton East campus very well-attended.
See the link below for the Superintendent’s statement on the matter:
http://www.jsmortonhs.com/news/contentview.asp?i=203515
For letters or phone calls of support, please see information below:
Dr. Ben Nowakowski, Superintendent
District 201
2423 South Austin, Cicero, IL 60804
bnowakowski@jsmorton.org
(708) 222-5702
Mr. Lucas, Principal
Morton West High School
2400 S. Home Ave.
Berwyn, IL 60402
jlucas@west.jsmorton.org
708-222-5901
Mr. Jeffry Pesek, President
Board of Education, District 201
3145 South 55th Avenue
Cicero, IL 60804
708-802-1863
For the rest of the Board Members see:
http://www.jsmortonhs.com/board/default.asp?c=4867
For parent contact:
Pam Winstead 708-749-3163, serp@comcast.net
Alma Moran 708-717-4202, qtalmita@yahoo.com
Adam Szwarek 847-587-8849, tsq9743@aol.com
Chicago Indymedia: http://chicago.indymedia.org/