A Lesson In Civil Disobedience Coeur D’Alene High School Students Walk Out Of Class To Mark King Day In Their Own Way

About 150 Coeur d’Alene High School students honored Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with some civil disobedience of their own.

The students walked out of school at 12:15 p.m. Monday to protest perceived deficiencies in the school’s teachings about the slain civil rights leader.

“King’s birthday is an opportunity to learn about him and they teach us nothing,” said Willy Miller, a 16-yearold junior who organized the protest.

Some students left lunch and others left class. They walked to an open field, sat in a circle and talked about King. They also sang “Happy Birthday” to him.

At the behest of Principal Steven Casey, the students then returned to school and staged an impromptu assembly in the gymnasium to talk about King’s contributions.

“They were well-organized, not adversarial and well-behaved,” Casey said. “I told them I supported their position, but I didn’t approve of the way they handled it.”

The school had planned an unannounced 9 a.m. all-school broadcast of King’s Aug. 28, 1963, March on Washington speech.

“There was a miscommunication. It didn’t go on,” Casey said. It was rescheduled for 12:30 p.m.

“That’s what was so ironic,” he said. “We had our planned performance coming up, so we just asked the kids to come back to the gym.”

Miller said students were not upset that they were in school; they just wanted more on King.

“He was a great individual and he did more than just his ‘I have a dream …’ speech,” Miller said. “That’s all we ever hear about.”

During the assembly, a handful of students read other King speeches and talked about what he meant to them.

Not all felt enlightened, said Jessica Barkl, a junior. Several giggled, happy to be out of class. Others participated because it was “trendy,” she said.

“King brought dignity to people just with his voice,” she said. “So I stood up and yelled at them. They all stayed and were quiet, so I think they learned something.”

Some students, like Paul Klassen, were sympathetic, but didn’t attend for fear of upsetting their attendance record. Others didn’t think it was appropriate.

“Overall it felt really good,” Miller said. “I only wanted to make a statement. If I get in trouble, I’ll take it.”

Students will be counted absent for missing class, Casey said. An undetermined few who didn’t return will be considered truant.