MDI High School Students Hold Walkout in Response to Incident of School Violence
Subsequent H.S. Board and AOS Board Meetings Address Issue
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Swan Agency Real Estate.
BAR HARBOR—A rotating group of 15-20 MDI High School students participated in a walkout at the school on Monday, October 21. The original group of students strode out of the main entrance of the high school and clustered around the picnic tables in the grass just outside the door at 8:58 a.m.
The walkout stemmed from an incident that occurred at the high school on October 4, 2024. That incident between two students, in which one was being struck repeatedly by the other, was videotaped and dispersed on social media sites nationwide.
During the walkout, the students were quiet and spoke amongst themselves and with staff that was also outside while the students created signs on poster board, most of which address student safety and anti-violence. As they were created, the signs were hung on trees or poles. Some were put on railings: a silent message of the students’ concerns.
A short time after the walkout had commenced, School Superintendent Mike Zboray said he spoke with a freshman student and a junior student who were participating in the walkout.
According to Zboray, the students expressed that one of the main reasons for the walkout was to spread awareness to the school community that violence is not the appropriate way to solve problems.
One student, Elsie Yarbrough, expressed her individual motivation for participating in the walkout in an email to the Bar Harbor Story.
“I wasn’t behind the organization of the protest, so I’m not sure about that and as far as I know, nothing else is planned; however, I’m sure if the offending student returns to MDIHS, there will be more turmoil from the student body,” she said.
Her personal motivation, she said was “the lack of concern for our safety as students at MDI from administration, and the need for change in the way our school handles violence. I believe the main goal was to inform the administrators of our concerns as students for our safety on school grounds before the high school board meeting going on tonight (October 21, 2024) in hopes of it being addressed there.”
Yarbrough said her concerns are about making sure “that more violence and intimidation doesn’t continue because our school isn’t a place for that.”
From 2017 to 2023, Mount Desert Island High School reported 26 bullying incidents, for an average of 3.71 each year. According to state record, behavior incidents from 2013 to 2022 have fluctuated. There were six violent incidents with physical injury in 2022, an increase from the average three or four each school year prior to COVID.
“This topic concerns me as a female teenager because as you know there is a video that went viral of the ‘fight’ where Mr. Haney, our principal stood by and let a girl get violently assaulted by another student,” Yarbrough said.
Early Monday morning, Zboray sent an email to parents of MDI High School students letting the parents know that he had communicated with the student body about their right to protest and the importance of such actions.
In that email to students, Zboray said, “I understand that some students are considering a walkout this morning. I recognize the importance of student voice and your right to express your views on important issues. Student activism has historically played a vital role in your right to be heard.
“If you choose to participate, it’s crucial that this is done in a way that promotes respect, safety, and civil discourse. While participating in events like walkouts, please remember that your actions reflect not only your beliefs but also your commitment to engaging thoughtfully and respectfully. Let’s ensure that your voice contributes to meaningful, constructive dialogue.
“If individuals would like to speak with me about their views, I would be happy to do so to better understand your concerns.”
Zboray said that when he spoke to the two students, they also spoke about the school ensuring that the student body is made aware of opportunities for support and processing incidents via multiple methods including public announcements at the school as well as on the screens that constantly have messages posted upon them throughout the school.
Another important issue to the students was the importance of follow up by staff and/or administrators if a student reports anything, no matter how big or small, to ensure that the issue has been addressed or an alternate solution has been sought out so that even the smallest of issues isn’t forgotten.
Finally, Zboray said that Dean of Students Ian Braun has been speaking with the students that participated in the walkout, individually, to ensure that all of the student’s concerns and ideas are captured by the administration.
HIGH SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
Expecting a larger than normal crowd, the monthly meeting of the MDI High School Board was held in the Higgins-Demas Stage auditorium rather than in the library where it is normally held. There were approximately 40 members of the public and school staff from multiple schools in the district in attendance in the audience. Approximately 22 staff and school board members from across the district attended and sat at the board table.
The October 4 incident was not on the agenda as a listed item but this was the first High School Board meeting since the incident took place. There was one public comment made by former MDI High School teacher Bo Greene during the first public comment period of the meeting and one public comment that was sent to the Board via email.
The email focused on firing Principal Haney as does an online Change.org petition started by Trenton resident Bruce Gustafson calling for Haney’s resignation that has gathered over 2,000 signatures. Gustafson’s daughter was injured during the event.
Greene’s comments were focused on how though she does not condone violence, “every human being has a breaking point,” which she said is part of the human condition.
She stressed that the conversation shouldn’t be about who people are but about what happened and violence in general. “We have been taught from day one that we have to try to de-escalate to a large degree before we lay hands on anybody.”
“Everybody has a right to be who they are,” she said. “That is a basic human right.”
Everyone in the community, she stressed, is trying to do their best.
There was no public comment during the second opportunity of the meeting and nothing was said by any staff or board members in attendance regarding the incident.
During the second public comment period, Board Chair Susan Allen did remind attendees that public comment is not the only way to make their voice heard and they can also call or email any board member or administrator and that those officials are specifically there to hear what the community has to say. Allen also said that the high school policies and process for making official complaints are on the school’s website.
AOS BOARD MEETINGS
The monthly meeting of the AOS Board was also held in the theater. The AOS Board meeting was broadcast live and recorded on YouTube. There was no public comment during either of the public comment periods.
During the superintendent’s report period of the meeting, Zboray spoke about the student walkout that occurred early in the day, meeting with some of the student protestors, and also about school violence.
“As part of my report, I wanted to share a bit about responding to school violence. There was an event at the high school a few weeks ago that rattled our community, and I want you to know that there are strategies and things that we are doing, from what we hear from the community and our reflection, and I think the first thing that I would like to say, and it was highlighted at the HS (board) meeting, is that students were outside today sharing the importance of wanting to stop violence at schools,” Zboray said.
He said he had an opportunity to talk to some of those students.
“So, there are proactive strategies. In any institution, you want to make sure that you are laying the groundwork so, you know, those things don’t happen, and I think really importantly are building community and student agency,” Zboray said. “Some of the ways that the high school does that work, and I think can continue to strengthen that work, is the review board and the restorative board and participation in those.”
“One of the things that I learned today is some of our students weren’t aware of those and how important those are in building community in schools. So, the idea of elevating the work that students are doing because we have high school students on the review board and the restorative board and sort of dealing with issues that happen at school and doing that as a community and that’s a pretty powerful, and then student advisories,” he said. “Also, being clear on our restorative practices and what that looks like across our school is another piece of that sort of proactive strategy. And then, also, really focusing on staff training, support, and understanding managing dangerous behavior and sort of clarifying the protocols that adults need to respond to when they are in those situations. And also, thinking really hard about making sure that our reporting process, you know and students take time to talk to adults that they feel comfortable with, but also making sure that there are anonymous ways to share information, so being sure that our bullying and Title IX reporting are really visible and easily accessible.”
According to Zboray, the IT department staff is working on making sure that those pieces are easily available.
“Right now, that is in the student handbook at the high school (website) which we learned at the high school meeting, you have to scroll to the bottom and we go to the handbook and then it is right there very prevalent in the handbook as a way of sort of making that more prominent I think would be really important in terms of making sure that people have ways to report when things are happening,” he said. “And then, the importance of reflecting, reviewing, and revising. I think what I have heard most importantly is the importance of communication to families when things like this happen in our community and also providing support.”
He said that he learned a lot in his conversations with the students during the walk out and that he will share some of that in the future.
“I think we also have to think carefully on reviewing and understanding our laws, policies, and procedures and that happens at the board and policy level, that happens with administrators being able to review and reflect and to do the best that we can in supporting our students and our families,” he said. “I wanted to make sure that people recognize that I have been listening and there are a variety of strategies at both the proactive level that I think a lot of things that we already do and things that we can strengthen and then also at a more procedures and policy level where we can take a look and review those pieces.”
SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
The MDI High School Board also approved the school resource officer (SRO) memorandum of understanding (MOU) and was the last of the three school boards jurisdictionally covered by the Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Police Department to approve the SRO MOU. The Mount Desert Elementary School Board and the Conners Emerson School Board had already approved the SRO MOUs.
After a brief update regarding the MOU from Zboray, and with no discussion or comment from board members, the board approved the SRO MOU by a vote of seven yes votes to three no votes.
All photos and videos unless otherwise stated: Shaun Farrar and Carrie Jones/Bar Harbor Story
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
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Interesting how vague this article is as to who the aggressive student was and why authorities aren't getting involved.
For whatever reason, the adults was unprepared or afraid to break up a physical fight between students, and so did nothing meaningful. What kind of message do they think that send to ALL the students? Might makes right? Intimidation works? But mainly, adults do not have your backs.