Liberty High students protest outside school over Missouri bills they say are racist, anti-LGBTQ

LIBERTY, Mo. (KCTV) - Dozens of Liberty High School students gathered outside of the school Thursday morning to protest a few bills making their way through the Missouri General Assembly that detractors say are racist and anti-transgender.

Missouri Senate Bill 781, one of the pieces of proposed legislation the students say they are protesting, would prohibit anyone born as a male from taking part in girls’ school sports. Another bill, House Bill 1474, would prohibit the teaching of Critical Race Theory in schools.

Shortly before school began, at 7:45 a.m.., dozens of students walked onto the nearby track and sports field. Many were holding signs such as “Trans kids need sports too” and “Support trans kids.”

“Our school is a place of tolerance and acceptance,” said the Twitter account Liberty Says Gay, which shared information on the walkout. “We’re going to fight to keep it that way.”

The Liberty School District had sent a letter to parents on Wednesday ahead of the protest, saying the following:

LHS Families,

We hope this message finds you doing well! As we begin another great day of learning at Liberty High School, I did want you to inform you that there may be the presence of some local TV outlets near our campus around the time of student arrival this morning. This is due to an event that several of our students are participating in at the activities complex prior to the start of school. This is a student coordinated event that is intended to bring awareness to some national legislation being considered. We appreciate the students making us aware of their intent in advance, and their willingness to cooperate to not cause any disruptions to our regular school day. While this is not a school sponsored event, we want to always respect the voice of our students at LHS, as long as it is conducted in a respectful manner and does not interfere with our learning environment.

Thank you for your attention, and have a great Thursday!

Dr. April Adams

Principal - Liberty High School