From left to right, Zane Everetts, Hayden Miller, and Cayden Vodenichar along with at least six other students, participate in a walk-out at Karns City High School on Thursday. The walk-out is part of a protest by students who believe the expulsion of a student involved in an alleged incident at Butler County Vocational-Technical School earlier in April is excessive. The walk-out occurred shortly after noon during a rainstorm. The group was joined by several cyber students.

At least nine students at Karns City High School walked out of class in Thursday's rain to protest the expulsion of a senior who was linked to an incident in which another student was allegedly attacked at Butler County Vocational-Technical School.

A few minutes after noon, the protesting students exited the high school, crossed to the edge of the campus and waited in the rain without umbrellas for more than an hour. A few parents came to show their support. Cars passing on the road honked their horns. From a neighboring property, a bystander yelled that the students should find a better way to protest.

Members of the group said multiple students allegedly involved in the incident at the vo-tech incident in early April were called in and disciplined. Student Angel Eppinger said the senior for whom the group was protesting was disciplined “because he was in there when it happened and (the district) considered him part of the group beating up the kid.”

The incident is under investigation by Butler Township Police, according to Chief John Hays.

The protest followed a Karns City School board meeting Monday evening, where students presented a petition claiming that the senior's punishment was too harsh.

Zach Scherer, a Karns City senior, defended the expelled senior, describing the student's action as only a tap on the backside of the alleged victim with a boot twice. Scherer and other protesters said the expulsion as well as the student being banned from prom and from walking at graduation are unfair and inconsistent with other discipline imposed by the district.

“There are worse things that are done,” Scherer said. “For example, threatening to bomb the school, that's a worse disciplinary action than tapping a kid on the butt twice.”

District Supertintendent Eric Ritzert said the protesting students don't know all the facts.

“I commend students for wanting to defend their friends and ask that they follow the facts and reserve judgement until they understand the situation.” Ritzer said. “There is an ongoing police investigation, and I believe that in itself is telling.”

According to school board minutes from the April 26 meeting, five people spoke during the public portion of the meeting regarding a student discipline matter, including two students, a sibling of one of the students disciplined and two area parents.

Student Stephanie Weiland, according to Ritzert, presented a petition that community members had signed saying that the discipline was too extreme. Ritzert said the others at the board meeting also said they believed that discipline for one of the students involved was too extreme.

“Everyone one was listened to,” he said. “Their comments were sincerely received. However, just because their statements addressing us didn't get the desired outcomes they asked for doesn't mean we didn't hear them.”

Ritzert said all students who were involved in the incident who went to Karns City had separate expulsion hearings April 21. He said these meetings can be public if parents waive a right to privacy, but none of the parents chose to do so, which meant the hearings were held in private during an executive session. As part of their individual hearings, Ritzert said, the student could bring a legal representative to ask about the process and why this level of punishment was being considered. They were also offered the opportunity to make a statement to help their case.

While people online have been referring to the incident as a fight, Ritzert doesn't consider it one.

“We want to define what's a fight,” Ritzert said. “I hear a fight, I think it's two people and a back and forth. This (incident) is not characterized by that. This is one person who was totally defenseless and other people performing activities that were very inappropriate and disturbing.”

According to Hays, the incident was reported to his department April 9. Hays said approximately six students were involved. Ritzert said four of the students are from Karns City; two are seniors and two were younger.

“Once the investigation is complete, charges will be filed and a news release will be released at that time,” Hays said.