GARRETSON, S.D. (KELO.com) -- A student-inspired event to mark school shootings has been cancelled at Garretson High School.
Principal Chris Long says a lot of inaccurate information was put on social media and as a result, the school received hundreds of negative comments on Facebook.
"They felt there was a slant on it, that was a gun control slant, that was going to be utilized during the school day, and that was inaccurate as well, but since all those inaccuracies went out, there was really felt at that point that there was no way to reel it back in."
Long wrote an open letter about the situation:
https://superintendentgjohnson.net/2018/02/27/garretson-school-walkout-april-20/
He says that the students first came to him with ideas for a walkout on April 20th, in conjunction with a national walkout that day, but he informed them that that would be against school policy. Then everyone sat down and worked out an alternative, including a 17-minute walkout, that the students would make up at the end of the day. The 17 minutes would honor the 17 dead in Florida.
Long says that the students learned a lesson about how the "monster" of social media can stop something, even before all the facts are known.
"Our youth have something to say, and most of the time, it is very, very valuable and we have to give them a chance to have a voice." Long says the student's concerns are still on the table and there will be continued brainstorming.
The national walkout on April 20th will mark the 19th anniversary of the shooting massacre at Columbine High School in Colorado.