James Carter, a sophomore, said in an interview, "Originally the protest was about Mr. Cassano's rule about groups of four." This rule, instituted by Cassano and not a school board policy, prohibited students from gathering in groups of more than three. "Students were suspended for violating this rule on the second day of school," he said.

Mike Miller, a junior, explained, "On Tuesday [September 12] we had a junior-senior assembly where Mr. Cassano spoke. At first he said stuff like how we are the leaders of the future. But then he called us a bunch of charity cases and morons. We don't even know why he said that.

"When the word got around the school about that, people were really mad," Miller said. "One student and his mother put out a flyer calling for a protest on Thursday. So on Thursday morning there were about 100 students out in front of the school peacefully protesting. Then the cops came and told us we either had to go home or go into school. There's a big tree out in front of the school, and so a bunch of the students linked arms around the tree. Then the cops started hitting the students with their nightsticks and arresting them." Ten students were arrested and charged with aggravated rioting, a felony.

Carter said, "The cops hit me from behind on my shoulder with a nightstick as I was walking into the building. There were four or five cops pushing us into the building. All of them had their nightsticks out."

Esteban Báez, who graduated from Admiral King earlier in the year, said, "My younger brother Antonio was arrested on Thursday. He wasn't even part of the protest; he was just coming late to school. The cops ran up to him, picked him up, and slammed him to the ground so hard his shoes came off. When we came to pick him up at the jail he didn't have any shoes. They grabbed him so hard all three of the shirts he was wearing were ripped."

"About six students from a video class were videotaping what was going on," said Miller. "One of the teachers came out and yelled at them, 'Give me the f----- tapes!' But there was one student who was able to keep her tape. So at least part of what happened came out on the TV news."

The police attack only made the students more determined to continue their protest. "The next day we had an all day sit-in in the auditorium," said Miller. "There were between 200 and 250 students there."

Carter added, "We demanded that Mr. Cassano speak to us on Friday at the sit-in. He came, but he really didn't answer our questions. He would just take a question and then move right on to the next one without dealing with it."

Esteban Báez said, "The police arrested my older brother Samuel on Friday. He was at the school with my mother, and he had signed in to enter the school. He had a big permit on his chest to show he was allowed to be there. When the cops told him to leave, he asked if he could get his keys from my mom. The cops grabbed him, held him in the air, kicked him, and then charged him with criminal trespass. These cops came out with dogs and batons against children."

The students went to the City Council meeting on September 18 to raise the issue of the actions of the police. About two dozen students went to the meeting along with several parents.

The students had a petition, with about 250 signatures, demanding Cassano's resignation. They were not given any opportunity to speak at the meeting.

One student, Wendy, said, "The cops should be punished. They should be suspended. We want an apology."

Daisy Rosa, who came with her daughter Teresa, described what happened earlier in the afternoon at a meeting scheduled for parents to talk to the principal. Schools Superintendent Nicholas Hutlock told the parents that he had told Cassano not to show up because he claimed he had received threats.

"Half of the parents walked out because Mr. Cassano didn't show up," said Rosa. "He looked like he was instigating the problem. We parents care about our kids and we defend them if we see they are right."

When the meeting reconvened City Council member Vinson Shipley, also a guidance counselor at Admiral King, proposed that a meeting be held the following Monday to discuss the actions of the police. This was agreed to and at that point the students left the room. Shortly thereafter, however, the Council rescinded its decision, and at this point there is no meeting scheduled on the issue.

They have already forced the administration to make some concessions. Carter explained, "Cassano has pretty much suspended the rule about groups of four or more." He told the media he had never implemented such a rule.

Tony Prince is a member of the Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees in Cleveland.  
 
 
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