Senior Student Who Protested Hybrid Learning Suspended For Rest Of School Year

Maverick Stow, the senior student at William Floyd High School was recently arrested for insisting to attend in-person classes, has been suspended for the rest of the school year.

Stow's arrest came after he protested the school’s adaptation of hybrid learning to comply with COVID-19 guidelines. Fox News said the 17-year-old tried to attend in-person classes every day and was suspended for five days last Tuesday, September 8.

“I was going to school like students should be going to school. I think that a five-day suspension is out of the line,” Stow told ABC 7.

Stow’s mother, Nora Kaplan-Stow, defended his son’s actions, saying that “kids need to be in school every day” and that “virtual learning is not learning.”

“He’s a very smart kid. He knows what he’s doing,” said Richard Stow, Maverick’s father.

Despite his suspension, Stow still managed to return to the school on Wednesday. He was finally arrested the following day for “criminal trespassing for unlawfully entering school grounds,” added Fox News.

William Floyd High School’s hybrid learning requires students two days of in-person classes and three days of virtual learning. Stow was suspended for attempting to attend school while under “remote-learning day.”

Stow received a letter from the superintendent of William Floyd Union Free School District and informed him that he has been suspended through June 30, 2021 for insubordination, said ABC 7 in a separate article.

His suspension means that Stow will not be permitted on school grounds or attend any school-sponsored events, including all senior activities and privileges like prom and graduation.

“We have zero tolerance for suspended students or unauthorized people trying to enter our buildings to disrupt the educational process and/or to potentially cause an unsafe environment for our students and staff,” the school district wrote in a statement.

Stow released his own statement Monday, saying that he would stop trying to gain entry to the school during remote-learning days. This came after more than 100 students signed a petition condemning his actions when the school “threatened” to close the high school if Stow kept showing up, according to ABC 7.

“However, seeing as ALL STUDENTS are still not attending school for 5 days per week, I do intend to make my voice heard. I, along with any supporters of this cause who believe that students should have in-person learning 5 days a week as well as extracurricular activities and sports, will continue to peacefully protest off school property and during school hours,” Stow said.