Racially Mixed St. Paul School Melds the Masses

 By Josh Verges

jverges@pioneerpress.com

Cretin-Derham Hall suspended several students following a social justice walkout Monday that included profane, anti-police chanting and signs.

The demonstration was one of more than 100 that took place throughout the state Monday, organized over Instagram by the group Minnesota Teen Activists in the wake of Daunte Wright’s fatal shooting by a police officer in Brooklyn Center.

On Sunday, the St. Paul private Catholic school encouraged parents to talk to their children and “share your perspective and expectations” for the event. Students participating without their parents’ permission would be given an unexcused absence, the email said.

The event began at 1 p.m. Monday with a moment of silence and several student speeches. About one-third of the student body then marched around the perimeter of the campus, chanting slogans and holding signs.

As the group gathered back at the school, a student organizer used a school megaphone to lead an anti-police, “F— 12” chant, which admin-istrators quickly sought to shut down.

Meanwhile, a group of girls recorded a video taunting a police officer’s son, who stayed home from school on Monday.

Students told the Pioneer Press that at least six students of various ethnicities were suspended.

The school emailed parents after the walkout Monday to say that some students would be disciplined.

“While we value the positive voices for change that arose out of this student-organized event, we condemn the actions of those who were profane or hateful in speech or in signage. This behavior is not tolerated at Cretin-Derham Hall,” the message from President Frank Miley and Principal Mona Passman read, in part.

A much longer email went out Tuesday, which said some students “did not feel safe” during the walkout.

Twenty-eight percent of the school’s students are people of color, the message said, but “we also have many students, faculty/staff and alumni who have family members who are police officers, National Guard, and other first responders. It is our firm belief that individuals from BOTH of those groups seek and work for justice.”  ...

“We can disagree passionately, but we must do so out of respect for the dignity of all,” administrators wrote. “We believe the bad behavior you have heard about, especially the images shared on social media, is not representative of our school values, but it does, unfortunately, mirror the divisive nature of a worldwide response to current events. We have work to do.”