Online post leads to student walkout at Visalia school

VISALIA, Calif. ( KSEE/KGPE ) – A student-led walkout took place at a Visalia Unified School District school on Tuesday after officials say online comments were shared by students about current and former district employees.

YourCentralValley reached out to the Visalia Unified School District after learning about the possible student-led walkout at Mt. Whitney High School in Visalia.

According to district officials, the walkout took place on Tuesday morning, and it was in response to comments shared by students online about current and former district employees.

“Students were heard and kept safe during the two-hour walkout. We respect our students using their voices to advocate for their safety and the safety of others,” a district official said.

The school district provided further statements in response to the online post:

• Every VUSD employee goes through a thorough background clearance process that includes a criminal record check through the FBI and Dept. of Justice databases, in accordance with Ed Code 45125.
• Any and all reports of employee misconduct are promptly investigated, and appropriate action is taken to ensure the safety and well-being of students and staff (Board Policy 1312.1; 4119.11; 1312.3; 5145.7).
• The school is unable to comment on personnel matters or disclose information about individual employees. As a result, information that circulates in the media or online is often inaccurate and/or reflects misconstrued details.

According to the school district, the two-hour-long student-led walkout ended with students meeting with Mt. Withney High School’s principal.

Through this meeting and the support shown from our staff, students felt heard. We are proud of our students for using their voice.

Visalia Unified School District

Details regarding the content of the social media post that led to the walkout are unknown at this time.

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