1,200 Leave Pioneer Classes

1,200 Leave Pioneer Classes

Some 1,200 black and white Pioneer High school students left their classes about 10:30 a.m. today and gathered in the auditorium to discuss a number of student demands. Pioneer has a total population of about 2,300 students.

By about 1 p.m. today, only an estimated 75 students remained in the auditorium. The rest had returned to their classes.

The students apparently were protesting the suspension this morning of four black students. The black pupils -- three boys and one girl -- were suspended for standing in the hallways outside the cafeteria early this morning and refusing to go to class.

Several white students who spoke at the unauthorized but orderly meeting in the auditorium said they supported the black students’ six demands presented this morning to Pioneer Principal Theodore R. Rokicki, and said they had several demands of their own.

The latter demands included the revision of the Student Council and the formation of a Student Union instead, student evaluations of teachers, the establishment of an open campus during the lunch hour, and the abolishment of penalties for smoking on campus.

A formal list of six other demands was presented to Rokicki early this morning by three representatives of the black students. These demands apparently were pared down from a list of 12 prepared yesterday during a day-long unauthorized meeting of most of Pioneer’s 140 black students.

The black students gave Rokicki no deadline for answering the demands. The principal told the student body the administration will “study and react to them (the demands) as quickly as the faculty and I can discuss them.” A faculty meeting is scheduled for this afternoon. The demands are expected to be discussed at that time.

The length of the suspensions has not yet been determined, according to the schools’ community services officer John W. Hubley.

Rokicki told the students and faculty in his statement, which was read at 8:05 a.m. over the public address system, that the school “responded in a way yesterday which we considered reasonable under the circumstances. We can no longer accommodate such tactics, given the existence of other ways established to face grievances and race relations."

Rokicki ordered all teachers to admit all students to class today who were absent yesterday “until such time as counselors and class principals can clear excused and unexcused absences on an individual basis.” He said this would be done today. A person with an unexcused absence forfeits his right to make up work and tests on that day.

The six revised demands of the black students are as follows:

1) “More black counselors, teachers and coaches.”

2) “Black entertainment at after-game dances.”

3) “Black history to be taught by qualified teachers."

4) “Integrate all classes so that the atmosphere will be better for learning for black students.”

5) “We need and want an education that teaches us our own true role in American society.”

6) “Revise the Bi-Racial Committee.”