Hannah Watters was suspended on Wednesday for posting a photo and video to Twitter showing a lack of social distancing and mask-wearing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
North Paulding High School in Georgia has decided to reverse the suspension of a student who was punished for posting a photo and video of crowded hallways at the school, according to the student.
Hannah Watters, 15, told BuzzFeed News she got a five-day, out-of-school suspension on Wednesday for sharing the images on Twitter. She said she posted the pictures because she was concerned about the lack of social distancing and mask-wearing by her classmates amid the"The policies I broke stated that I used my phone in the hallway without permission, used my phone for social media, and posting pictures of minors without consent," she said.
"I am happy to continue my education there. I’ve always valued it," she said."Hopefully safety measures will be taken. As of right now we haven’t heard anything new from the school, but like I said hopefully it will be safer for everyone." At least one other student was suspended this week, although it's not clear whether their punishment was also reversed. Paulding County Schools has not responded to requests for comment on the alleged suspensions.despite reports of positive COVID-19 cases among both students and staff. The school district also chose not to enforce mask-wearing, calling it a"personal choice," even though the CDC now recommends their use.
In the first few days, several students shared photos on social media showing crowded hallways between classes. One, shared anonymously through a third-party account, went viral, drawing scrutiny to the school's decision to reopen amid the pandemic.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
A Georgia High School Suspended Two Students For Posting Photos Of Crowded HallwaysThe images of students packed together in hallways went viral on Twitter as the school faces scrutiny from staff and students.
Read more »
A Crowded School Hallway Photo Went Viral. Some Teachers And Parents Say The Real Situation Is Even Worse.An alarming photo of a crowded, mostly maskless, hallway in a Georgia high school raises issues with reopening schools all around the country.
Read more »
Georgia student suspended after posting a photo of a crowded school hallway says it was 'good and necessary trouble'A viral photo showing students in a Georgia high school crowded in hallways and with few visible masks resulted in the sophomore who posted it being suspended, she said.
Read more »
Georgia School Suspends Students for Hallway Photo Showing COVID RiskAfter the viral photo of the packed Georgia school, they have suspended the student who posted it.
Read more »
Back-to-school photo shows unmasked students crowding shoulder-to-shoulder in GeorgiaTwo Atlanta school districts that began in-person classes Monday with mask-optional policies face more questions about COVID-19 safety protocols.
Read more »
Georgia Schools Reopen To Packed Hallways And Students With COVID-19Students in Georgia's Paulding and Cherokee counties went back to school this week, with decidedly mixed results.
Read more »