User:JamesPhoenix3001/sandbox/Yuma High School Unrest

The unrest was not notable in the beginning, however as the students voice became more powerful, the problems had no way in being ignored.

The unrest started in 2016, generally before the video was uploaded, it had started mainly when the email (below) was sent to Klostreich and did not get a reply, nor was the problem even addressed.

By the beginning of the next school year, problems were already beginning to arise once again, however, more students began to agree: there were problems with the school. According to a few students, a "huge" problem from the previous year was however alleviated, the removal of Tyree from Yuma High, however, some students had in fact hoped for the termination of Tyree from holding any office in any school in the district. The unrest continues into 2017 and more problems were in fact created after the

The Yuma High School Unrest started when an email by a student was ignored by a Yuma High School official, which warned of upcoming events. The email was sent to Faith Klostreich, the principal of the school. The email was ignored, and a week later, 'the video' was taken and published to Facebook.

The Email

On March 2, 2016, Thomas Smith sent an email to the principal, speaking of the problems (causes) that lead to the Unrest at Yuma High. The email read:

Hi, my name is Thomas Smith, I'm a freshman and I have a very large problem with our morning routine in SOAR, involving the announcements. I would like to know, is the Pledge of Allegiance required? If it is, then what is going on, half of my SOAR class is disrespectful to our nation's flag. That is not good. I'm not trying to bark up any wrong tree or anything like that but all I want is for the Pledge to be required, and for that moment of silence to actually be a moment of silence! I feel that the only exemptions from the Pledge should be any student who is in a religion that hates 'one nation under God'. If they have a combat with that, that's the only reason. However, isn't America supposed to have "no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.." That means, that 'One nation under God' doesn't have to mean anything.

A lot of kids are here to 'live free,' like me, and other fellow Americans. However, that right is being fought for as I type, as you read this, and just plain every minute of every single day. How are we supposed to let people say they want to 'live free' but they won't respect the country that's fighting and giving them that right? Please, just hear me out, just, have the pledge of allegiance required. I got laughed at for giving someone a glare because they were too focused on Facebook rather than the pledge, the kid next to me laughed, and the kid behind him was the one on Facebook. He laughed at me, so I asked, "What's so funny," he replied "Oh, nothing, nothing." So I told him, "what, funny that someone deeply cares for their country and ain't afraid to show their pride?" He just kept laughing, so I just focused on another political essay I'm writing, and just let it be.

You know what, give me an answer, why isn't the pledge required. It obviously isn't when I know half of Snider ain't standing up for it. If this problem fails to be addressed at all, I will be deeply disappointed. How can you stand there and put a stereotype children as 'rude', 'disrespectful,' 'overly-obsessed with technology,' and not have the guts to do anything about it. Which brings up another problem. Our teachers, I believe, are SCARED to discipline. Most disciplinary plans that the teachers lay out in the beginning of the year gradually falls apart, at the beginning of the year, I had 7 peaceful classes with the rules introduced, now, I have 4 annoying classes and only 3 peaceful ones. Why must this persist? Why must students not be punished for their actions against district policy? It's like "One more chance, Jared." Jared does the action again. "One more chance, Jared." and it goes on, and on, and on, and on. If these problems persist, I will no longer be able hold up my school mascot with pride. I will stop supporting our school. I'm not telling you how to do your job, all I want is for our school faculty to gain some strength. I'm pretty sure this is occurring at the other schools in our district, but, I'm focused on our school. I want my school not only to be known as the Yuma High School Criminals, I want this school to be known not only in academic excellence, but behavioral excellence as well. Then I'll be able to hold this school mascot with pride. Thank you.

— Thomas J. Smith, in an email to the Yuma High Principal

The email was ignored.

'The Video'

The next week, after no response, he took his plan into action. He uploaded a video to

Reactions

The video gained numerous and extremely mixed reactions. Most reactions by onlookers were angry, and ashamed of the generation, the rest were mainly threats or talking down to Smith for even taking the video.

Administration Response

The administration had to waiver a rest-of-day absence in concerns for Smith's safety. Despite that, Smith's mother received repeated phone calls from the school requesting that she tell Smith to take it down. Her response was "No, it's his view, and I don't want him to have to back down."

Status

There have been numerous updates and installments to the unrest, including:

The Fake Post

On May 9, 2016, Michael Rosales, a then-student at Yuma High, made a faked photo-shopped or used Google's inspect element to create a fake post that read:

Every single one of Yuma High Students better not go to school on April 20, 2019. I will shoot up the school. I am so fucking tired of Mexicans picking on me I'm so done.

— Michael Rosales, in a faked post of school shooting threat

#OperationYHS (2016-17)

#OperationYHS is a social media tag that is expected to launch in April of 2017 as a code to the administration to make the school a 'better place.' The tag is imprinted on posters that are set to be hung around the school within March and May of 2017.
As updates are steaming, #OperationYHS is going to launch soon after signs in Administration, Research, and Union are hung as an awareness of upcoming events-- and that it will continue to grow in strength.

April 2017 Dress Code Protests

On April 14, 2017, teachers announced to students that by the end of the day, after classes ended, the teachers were going to a meeting regarding the District offices moving into the school due to reconstruction plans.

At the meeting, the teachers were told to begin enforcing the dress code strictly, along with other school handbook rules that they "slacked off" on.

Student Reaction

A handful of students including Thomas Smith, Macaila Anderson, "JB," Crystal Powell, and a few parents found the meeting repulsive, or as one student said, deplorable.

Protests

A silent protest took ke place between April 27 and May 6, 2017. A handful of students deliberately defied the dress code while at the same time wearing a sign calling out the school for its lack of enforcing rules.

The protests began on Thursday, April 27, 2017, when signs were made and Smith met with Anderson to discuss and begin handing out flyers and hanging them in Administration and Old Main, where the district office moved in. Upon the meeting between Smith and Anderson, it was discussed that defying the dress code may not be the best solution, considering a shift in attitude only if they complied with the dress code, but at the same time show resistance to the school teachers. To one student, it does represent the same as the nationwide protests against Donald Trump after his election. That same student just said our protest was for a completely "Justifiable, and great cause."

I think it's absolutely great why you're protesting. You're not protesting because you got caught, you're protesting because the school failed to do it's job until the "big boss" showed up. You're more responsible than the school is itself.

— Anonymous, regarding the current and upcoming Dress code protests.

2017 - 2018 School Year

In 2017, principal Faith Kloestreich retired, and the principal from Cibola High School (Yuma, AZ) was transferred in. The school year begins on August 4, 2017, and there is no statement on upcoming events.