Hundreds Of Students Walk Out To Support Suspended Teacher Over Florida Shooting Comments

Hundreds of students on Tuesday exited Cherry Hill High School East during class in support of a teacher suspended for voicing safety concerns on campus.

The students walked out in droves around 9:30 a.m. and circled the school to protest the suspension of advanced-placement teacher Timothy Locke, who spoke out about the lack of armed guards on campus following the deadly school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida on Feb. 14.

"We were appalled by the suspension of our favorite teacher Mr. Locke," Tim Welsch, a student at Cherry Hill East said Tuesday, according to the Jersey Journal. "Mr. Locke was the only teacher in the school who was willing to discuss the Parkland shooting with his students. He also talked about how our school security is super weak. He was immediately suspended for those necessary comments and it is an absolutely horrible decision."

Many left class despite warning from school principal Dennis Perry, who threatened to cancel prom and the senior trip, students said. The protest reportedly lasted an hour before the students returned and assembled in the auditorium for a meeting to discuss their frustrations.

"(The) administration isn't really helping at all," said Brynn Sheeler, a freshman. "They're not doing anything except giving us mics and then cutting us off when we actually start to speak."

About 500 students signed a petition to have Locke reinstated, reported WCAU, an NBC affiliate in Philadelphia.

Parents of the students said they planned to attend a Board of Education Meeting Tuesday in favor of Locke. Those angered by the suspension spoke to Cherry Hill Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Joseph Meloche Monday night.

Roughly 2,100 students attend Cherry Hill High School East, according to the school's website. The school opened in 1967, one of three high schools in the district, including Cherry Hill High School West and Cherry Hill Alternative High School.