PALM COAST, Fla. — An openly gay Florida high school student says he was suspended after organizing a walkout in protest of a bill that limits classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.
The district contends he was "administratively excused" while an investigation is ongoing.
Dubbed by critics as the "Don't Say Gay" bill, HB 1557 bars educators from teaching LGBTQ-related topics within a curriculum to students in kindergarten through third grade. School districts may also opt to ban topics of sexual orientation or gender identity beyond third grade if leaders deem them not to be age or developmentally appropriate.
Several walkouts were organized across the state Thursday, including in St. Petersburg. But the protest organized by 17-year-old Jack Petocz, who called for the statewide demonstrations, reportedly brought consequences at Flagler Palm Coast High School.
On Twitter, Petocz claims the school suspended him following the demonstration. He said school administration initially approved of the protest, but the tone shifted as it progressed. Petocz claims school administrators began confiscating pride flags and tried taking them off-campus.
He told The Daytona Beach News-Journal that an hour before the protest, the school principal "voiced his opposition" to the 200-plus pride flags he purchased on his own and brought to school.
Petocz says he encouraged others not to give in and continue protesting peacefully.
Following the demonstration, Petocz says school officials informed him he was indefinitely suspended and escorted off-campus.
In response to Petocz's claims, Jason Wheeler, the spokesperson for the Flagler County School district, said the school worked with district administrators "to allow for the student protest, while not disrupting other students who prefer to not take part."
One of the rules the school says it made right before the protest started was "no flags" to "avoid undue safety concerns and campus disruptions."
The school also denies that Petocz was suspended. Instead, school officials say he was "administratively excused from campus so that the school administration can conduct their investigation."
Flagler Palm Coast High School added that it is reviewing several videos from the demonstration to identify which students violated the rule so that they can be "dealt with according to that Code."
In an earlier interview with WESH-TV, Petocz said he was bullied at an early age and credited his teachers for helping him. The conversations were not sexual in nature but encouraging moments
"'I am proud of who I am and I am proud of all those protesting these regressive bills," Petocz said in his statement. "We must let our politicians know that no matter how hard they try, they can not suppress our identities or silence our voices."