Don’t ‘sweep it under the rug’: Students walk out over safety concerns at Michigan high school 

Dozens of Michigan students walked out of class Wednesday over safety concerns and frustration following revelations the school reenrolled a student who sexually assaulted another student.

The walkout took place at Mason High School on “Count Day,” the day Michigan public schools tabulate student enrollment for state funding, according to WLNS.

“We feel like we are not heard,” Wyatt Goodknecht, one of the participating students, said. “The school does not care about what we have to say or what we think. With the stuff that’s going on, they basically just want to keep it hidden from us, keep all of the information hidden and that’s not right.” 

The walkout follows a lawsuit filed Feb. 2 in the Federal District Court of Western Michigan, accusing the district of reinstating a Mason Public Schools student who was expelled for sexually assaulting a female student in 2022. 

The school board voted to reinstate the male student in October 2023, the suit says, after his parents petitioned for his return. 

However, a Title IX investigation reportedly found the male student had subjected his victim to actions that were “so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive,” it interfered with her right to education, according to WLNS.  

Brandon Wolfe, the attorney representing the victim’s family in the lawsuit, commended the students for taking a stand. 

“People speaking out about it in the school is a pretty awesome thing and they should. Because why should a person come forward if their voice isn’t going to be heard?” Wolfe said. “I think they’re justified in their reaction. I mean, at the end of the day, my position for my client is that the Mason school district just completely dropped the ball in this case.” 

Superintendent Dr. Gary Kinzer acknowledged the students’ concerns in a letter to parents following the walkout. 

“I attended the walkout with other district administrators to hear the concerns of students,” Kinzer wrote, according to WLNS. “After the initial walkout, I met with the two student organizers and heard their specific concerns and requests.” 

Kinzer promised to “continue an open dialogue” with students moving forward. 

“If you hear us, please, please listen,” Goodknecht said, according to WLNS. “And don’t just take what we’ve said today and everything that has happened and just sweep it under the rug like everything else.”