Park Hill students walk out of class in support of suspended student

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The demand for change rose from one metro high school on Thursday afternoon.

Students walked out of class at Park Hill High School in support of claims made by a student who was suspended from school. Colby Barker spoke to FOX4 News on Thursday, describing last week’s incident where he spoke out in support of a female student who’d been sexually harassed by a male student.

Barker said when he confronted the alleged aggressor, that student addressed him with a racial slur. Barker said he was disciplined for the fight that followed, but the other student wasn’t.

The school’s front lawn near NW Barry Road turned into a protest ground in support of Barker. About 50 students left their classrooms in disapproval of the suspensions, asking school leaders to take incidents of racism more seriously. Barker is calling for school leaders to be replaced.

“These policies are unfair. You can’t just walk away unscathed,” Barker said.

“We need to clear out administration. We need student leaders from all ethnic groups and leaders to remake the policies that can’t protect us from predators.”

Barker is far from alone. Female students supporting Barker’s reinstatement said they’ve repeatedly reported incidents of catcalling, sexual assault and harassment to school administrators, but their claims don’t often lead to punishment for the aggressors.

Several commented to FOX4 that they don’t feel safe in school.

“That’s how all of us feel. None of us feel that, when we have an issue, our voices can be heard. We don’t feel like we can get help by the adults,” Zamara Cuadra, a student at the school, said.

“We shouldn’t have to go to this many lengths to be heard. They should just hear us. They want us to feel safe to come talk to them, but then, they do nothing to help us feel safe,” Jayda McAlevy, another student, said.

A Park Hill School District spokesperson wouldn’t comment on discipline involving the other student in Barker’s incident, citing confidentiality policies. Two students at Thursday’s protest argued that if Barker was Caucasian, he’d have been spared disciplinary action stemming from last week’s incident.

Several students complained that school administrators attempted to prevent the walkout by confining students to the school’s auditorium. A spokesperson for the school district denies that happened. This district’s next school board meeting is scheduled for next Thursday, September 12th.

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