Levittown High Schoolers Demonstrate Against Expected Overturn Of Roe V. Wade

About 75 students walked out of Harry S. Truman High School Tuesday to rally against an expected repeal of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The student-led walkout came as the nation has been abuzz after draft of a U.S. Supreme Court majority opinion leaked and showed the conservative-majority court plans to overturn Roe v. Wade. The court case is the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that led to legalized abortion in 1973.

The students walked out around 11 a.m. and many planned to stay outside throughout the rest of the school day.

Students held handmade signs that read: “My Body My Choice,” “Keep Your Law Off My Body,” “Honk For Women,” and other slogans.

Numerous passenger cars and work trucks beeped for the students as they passed.

Jadalynn Tokarski, a 10th grader, said the event was important for women to make their voices heard.

Sophia Boileau, a ninth grader, said the walkout not only let the students make their opinions known, but it can help reduce negative stigma of Truman students by showing they get involved.

Another student said she wanted to make it known that women should have control over their bodies and not men.

“We should be able to have a say on what we do without men deciding,” she said.

Jerret Williams came out with his wife to support his sister who was taking part in the walkout.

He said he was impressed with the turnout and seeing high schoolers take part.

Students spread word of their walkout in the days leading up to the event via social media and through posters in the school. Although, they said school staff took down the posters.

Tokarski and Boileau said school administration advised them against walking out in a prior meeting, but they didn’t try to block students on Tuesday morning.

The walkout and demonstration took place along Green Lane.

Administrators and school police and security were seen standing by the front entrance to the building. A Bristol Township police vehicle was pulled along Green Lane to slow passing drivers.

A district spokesperson said rumors that students who took part in the demonstration were denied bus transportation home were untrue.

Additional rumors that students who took part would be unable to take partake in prom and graduation were untrue, the district spokesperson said.

On Tuesday morning, Principal Jon Craig read the below statement to students:

We are proud that our student body, and supporting faculty, want to be part of this national conversation and express their valued opinions. We support student free speech as it applies to the school environment and we know you want your voices heard.
The Truman administration will not obstruct peaceful free speech, but will enforce school rules and policies as needed. On any day if students walk out of class or skip class without permission, this would be a violation and consequences would be warranted.
We encourage our students to continue to dialogue with us as they already have with this matter and other. We can work together to open up conversations with district officials, school board members, and local representatives to assure your voice is heard.
We believe in diversity, equality, and inclusion here at Harry S Truman and we want to work with our students to provide a welcoming environment where our students feel empowered, engaged, and inspired as they become productive, competitive member of an ever-changing society.

If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the Roe v. Wade decision, laws on abortions will fall back to the states.

Some states have already banned abortions and others are working to protect or expand their laws. Texas and Oklahoma have strict rules on abortion in place. Their bans outlaw the procedure after six weeks of pregnancy, which is often before many women know they are pregnant.

A recent poll from CBS News and YouGov stated 58 percent of American adults were supportive of keeping abortion legal. The poll showed 42 percent of Americans opposed it. Among party lines, the majority of Democrats and Republicans opposed making abortion illegal.

The issue is set to be a key one as the 2022 midterm elections near.