Austin also said she believed the classroom was the safest place to discuss such a sensitive topic, maintaining that the district calling police and Child Protective Services “is definitely putting a chilling effect on the freedom and openness that kids may feel to discuss those kinds of issues.” Salerno on Monday said state law and School Board policy required CPS to be notified, and that CPS directed the district to also speak with police. The Dane County District Attorney’s Office declined to move forward with any alleged violations of state law, he said.

About 75 students at the high school had planned to walk out of school Monday, Austin said. But they opted to hold a protest before school instead after Salerno urged patience and cautioned that there are “consequences for everything, including actions that have yet to be taken.”

“It is unfair to everyone involved ... for anyone to reach conclusions before all of the pieces of the puzzle have been collected,” Salerno told parents. “This would include anyone’s attempts to take precipitous action which pulls us away from gathering the facts.”

Salerno could not be reached for comment Monday.