Hundreds Of Students Walkout, Occupy School & Chant “Free Colby” After Black Student Suspended For Standing Against Racist & Sexual Violence

**This piece is written in collaboration with Black Pages Publishing**

KANSAS CITY, MO – Hundreds of students at Park Hill High School in Kansas City, Missouri, participated in a mass walkout and protest against the school’s failure to protect students from sexual assault, sexual harassment, and hate speech.

The school has become a centerpiece for controversy in the past week, following last week’s suspension of student-leader Colby Barker, a senior that stood up against a white male student that had sexually assaulted multiple female classmates and threatened to rape a girl in the bathroom. 

After being suspended, Barker did not back down nor comply with the grotesque actions of the administration. Instead, he took to social media to share his experience and to spread awareness of the situation unfolding.

In the initial interview when The Kansas City Defender first broke the story, Barker stated the situation unfolded by him peacefully and calmly approaching the student who had sexually assaulted multiple girls. “I went up to him, you know, very friendly,” Colby recounted. “I told him, just stay away from her. That’s it.”

The hate speech and threat to rape a student sparked outrage within Barker, resulting in an altercation where Barker held the assailant against a wall in the hallway. “I was fuming. I pinned him against the wall, had him there for about 20 seconds,” he told us in the interview. 

While speaking with journalists at Thursday’s protest, Barker took full responsibility and proudly stood by his actions, acknowledging that it was the inaction from administrators and the attacks from the racist student that left him with no other choice.

“Assault’s assault. I take full responsibility for my actions,” he stated. “I can’t let [him] threaten to rape my friend and nothing happen to him.” In our initial interview with Barker, he mentioned that he did in fact take the issue to the administration before confronting the student, warning them that if they did not take action, he would be forced to take it into his own hands. When they did nothing, ultimately that is exactly what he did.

Escalating Tension & Park Hill’s Growing Student Uprising

During the early stages of the protest, we had a chance to speak with a group of three students that walked out. Speaking with The Defender and a KCTV5 representative, the students stated they attended the walkout because they “feel unsafe” in the school. 

“The school has yet to do anything and it’s wrong to make the students take responsibility,” one of the girls said.

Another one stated that this has “been a problem for many years” and further explained that they are upset with Barker’s suspension:

“It’s always the person that’s in the right taking the consequences.”

When the trio were asked what they would like the administration to do, they said the staff needs to “dig deeper and get witnesses.”

Referring to Barker’s altercation with the sexually violent student, one of the three said “There was a deeper meaning [to what Colby did]…you’re punishing someone for doing something right.”

As more students came out in support, they were adorned in signs and shirts that stated the likes of “Believe the Victims,” “Black Lives Matter,” “No Justice No Peace,” and more.

As more groups came in, they were cheered by fellow protestors and bystanders that drove by.

“Holding Us Against Our Will”: Students Allege Park Hill Administrators Lock Students in Auditorium with Cops & Sheriff’s Office Officials

While Barker was speaking with media, news came to light that the school was allegedly locking students into the school auditorium and refusing to let them join the protest.

“They’re locking people in the auditorium. They’re closing the doors and not letting anyone out. We only found out that they’re doing this because [the students] are texting us and telling us,” a group of students told The Defender.

Per the students, “over a hundred” other protesters were locked in the auditorium, with police and sheriff’s office officials being in the room to prevent students from supporting Colby and the victims of sexual assault.

We asked Park Hill’s director of communications, Kelly Wachel, who pushed off the claims.

“I’m sure they’re not locking them in there,” Kelly Wachel stated, despite numerous videos and posts obtained by The Defender showing Park Hill High School students in that auditorium, and students explicitly stating their fellow students were actively texting them telling them they were locked in.

Speaking directly with us, Barker stated that “They’re trying to silence us…This is outrageous. They’re holding students against their will…they’re violating our rights…the administration needs to resign.”

Barker revealed to media that his suspension is over September 9th, and when we asked him what his plan is once it is over, Barker stated that he “will keep putting the pressure on and scheduling more protests.”

“The school is scaring students from protesting and trying to keep us silent…if the administration wants to protect the predators, they’re just as bad as the predators.”

Throughout the protest, Park Hill School District’s Kelly Wachel refused to comment to media regarding the situation. Black Pages’ founder, Silas Lee, reached out to Wachel directly for further information. We have not yet received a response as of publishing time. 

This is a developing story.

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