Northwestern high school students walk out over gun safety concerns

Posted by: March 9, 2023 / 7:06 PM CST

Updated: March 9, 2023 / 7:06 PM CST

CHICAGO — Students at William Howard Taft High School on the city’s northwest side walked out Thursday morning to protest gun safety issues.

Parents and guardians were notified Monday of a potential threat to the school by a student. Although authorities deemed the threat “unbelievable”, word emerged on Wednesday that the students were planning to walk out.

CPS responded to WGN News’ request for comment, saying the school district takes gun safety seriously and does not consider it a security threat.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) takes the safety of our students and staff seriously, and we are committed to working with students, their families, teachers and school administrators to provide a safe and secure learning environment.

CPS prioritizes the safety and well-being of our students, and we take seriously our responsibility to ensure that all staff members act in the best interests of our students. As a district we take all allegations seriously and our team follows the district’s policies and procedures when responding to safety issues and employee misconduct.

We value our students’ perspectives and will continue to engage with them to ensure we understand their concerns.”

Chicago Public Schools Statement

Taft officials say they will increase background checks on students before they enter the school and will listen to students about their concerns.