STEM high school students stage sit-in protest, urge harsh punishments for bias incidents, improve DEI policy
A video of a protest by high school students at Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) was posted on Twitter Thursday, showing the students urging leaders to implement stricter policies that address "racism" and "discrimination."
The video was posted on Twitter as an "exclusive" from Parents Defending Education President Nicole Neily. She received the video from a "tipster" at IMSA.
The video of the protest at IMSA shows students engaged in a sit-in, which included a series of chants. In the video, you can hear students chanting, "Why are our pronouns not used," among other things.
IMSA is a three-year residential public secondary education institution in Aurora, Illinois, that focuses on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. It has an enrollment of approximately 650 students.
A list of students’ demands includes a "public outline of the possible consequences for students following a bias incident report" and "those consequences must have concrete impacts for the offender."
IMSA’s current Bias Incident Reporting Form prompts a student or staff member to select the type of bias that occurred, which includes "race," "color," "gender," "ability," "weight," "political affiliation," and "microaggressions."
Such consequences include "detentions, removal from leadership positions, suspensions, expulsions, and notification to parents and potential future colleges."
IMSA students' demands go further because they want consequences for staff and faculty members following a biased incident report as well.
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The Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion must publish a student’s report that details their initiatives for "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) and details any progress that reflects that mantra.
Furthermore, students want "marginalized students" to be involved in the development of DEI and for all staff including teachers, residential counselors, and other students to receive training.
In addition to training and the push for more stringent bias-incident reports, IMSA students call for "diversity" to be prioritized in hiring practices for "student-facing staff and faculty."
Students added that the "administration must assume more responsibility and accountability for enacting change against racism and other discrimination."
When Fox News Digital reached out to IMSA for comment, they said that the protest captured on video was a "peaceful campus demonstration."
"On December 8, IMSA students organized a peaceful campus demonstration emphasizing the significance of student safety and a bias-free environment," Tami J. Armstrong told Fox News Digital.
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She added, "We value our students' perspectives and are committed to partnering with them to ensure all voices are heard. Teams composed of students and administrators will begin actively engaging in the ongoing work of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with the goal of working towards positive growth."
She went on to say, "Our commitment to counter racism and discrimination drives us to actively involve students in a collaborative approach. We express gratitude to our students, families, faculty, and staff for their ongoing support and partnership as we collectively tackle societal challenges with empathy and understanding."
Neily told Fox News Digital that the protest shows that students at IMSA and other high schools across the U.S. appear to lack an understanding of "basic American civics."
Neily added that "Bias response programs" have an effect of "chilling" speech rights in America.
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"Bias response programs are both designed to - and have the impact of - chilling speech, because students know that quite literally anything they say can and will be used against them. Unsurprisingly, these programs are weaponized by students to silence opinions with which they disagree, because the process is a punishment in and of itself," Neily said.
"The fact that students are demanding ‘concrete impacts’ for bias impact reports underscores that far too few high school students - at IMSA or elsewhere - have an understanding of basic American civics and the Bill of Rights," she added.