About 50 Petaluma High School students who walked out of classes Wednesday to protest U.S. policy on Iraq have received one-day suspensions.

Some students and their parents said Monday the suspensions were unfair because students at other Sonoma County high schools who also staged protest walkouts were not suspended.

Petaluma school officials did not make the decision "lightly or capriciously," said Tom Joynt, director of alternative education and child welfare and attendance.

"It's the obligation of the principal to ensure compliance with attendance rules," he said.

"I am heartened that young people are learning the responsibility of being a citizen, which often means dissent from popular opinion," Joynt said.

But he said the protesters also learned another lesson: "Civil disobedience can have a consequence, such as in this case suspension."

Allowing students to walk out without consequences would set a bad precedent, he said. (full story)

Seems a little harsh to me, dont you think? Regardless of whether or not the administrators took their decision lightly.

Imagine if walking out of class for any reason was grounds for suspension in college, even community college.

The students did try to negotiate before their walk-out, but the top brass wouldn't have any of it. Still, if Mr Joynt says that's their policy, then fair enough. The students mad their point, and a one-day suspension is a very small price to pay. Good work, guys.