Updated: 2:53 p.m.

Students staged a walkout at Oregon City High School on Thursday to protest at least three racist social media posts and what some students and parents say is a lackluster response from the school administration.

On Monday, a former student of the high school posted a picture of a group of friends -- that reportedly included current students -- holding a sign that said "Welcome back to the farm" and then added the N-word and a drawing of a Ku Klux Klan member.

On Tuesday, a member of the Oregon City High School girls basketball team tweeted a picture of a note left on her doorstep that included the N-word.

On Wednesday, a picture of students holding a #BlackLivesMatter sign was photoshopped to show the sign with derogatory slogans.

And on Wednesday, students began planning a walkout for Thursday morning.

Madilyn Gilliam, 19 and a student at Portland State University who graduated from OCHS in 2016, thinks racism is an ongoing problem at the high school.

"I have gay parents and I have a dad who is black," she said. She said that within the first week she attended OCHS, "someone called my dad the N-word."

Gilliam returned to the school Thursday morning to show support for the students fighting racism. But she, and a few other visitors including two news trucks, an OPB reporter, and a few independent members of the press, were unable to witness the protest first-hand. It took place in a courtyard that was not accessible to outsiders. Outside the school, police and district administrators patrolled the grounds.

On Wednesday, Michael Clark, spokesperson for the Oregon City School District who is handling requests for comment about the walkout, said via email, "Students are planning unity events with the support of school administrators."

But on Thursday afternoon, Clark emailed, "The students 'Walk out to stand up" unity gathering was not school sanctioned. Teachers in a classroom this morning continued their lessons as planned."

"Nothing changed," said Clark when asked for clarity on these statements.



"While this was not a school-sanctioned event, we remain proud of the students at Oregon City High School for standing in solidarity with each other. We commend the staff for expertly providing the space and support students needed for an outlet of strong emotion. Participants peacefully expressed their outrage in a positive manner and demonstrated their commitment to ensuring a safe and respectful learning environment for everyone."

One parent who came to support her daughter was upset that the protest was held inside the school.

The administration "wanted to keep it on the down low," said Tonya Sare, whose daughter 17-year-old Brynn Sare texted a video of the protest to her mother who shared it with media.

"We came out here to support her," Tonya Sare said of her daughter. "She's a strong little patriot."

Sare was unhappy with what she saw as the school trying to cover up and minimize the incidents. "I think it needs to be seen," she said.

After the scheduled walkout ended, a number of students came outside to speak with the press during their lunch break.

"I am absolutely so upset because this is not changing anything," said Myra Jones, a 14-year-old freshman. "We're just talking to the birds basically out there."

"And athletes, they are getting threatened to get kicked off the team, lose their position," if they walk out of classes, Dreyona Robinson, also 14 and a freshman, said.

Robinson also addressed the idea that these racist words were used jokingly.

"They're saying 'oh well I'm not racist but I make racist comments or jokes and stuff, I'm trying to be funny about it,' " Robinson said. "That's still not being funny."

Senior Zach Lang, 17, drove around the parking lot in a pickup truck sporting an American flag. He stopped his truck to say he wouldn't be participating in the walkout. "I'd rather have an education," he said.

He said he knows the people in the original tweet and thinks it wasn't racist. "It was a joke," he said. "They apologized and it should be dropped."

Other students disagreed, but said racism is not a huge problem at their school.

"It was racist," said Tanner Philips, a 17-year-old senior at OCHS about the original post.

"It's not the city," he continued. "It's not the school. It's just a group of students."

"I think people are making a bit more of a big deal than it is," he added.

His friend, Andre Murray, also 17 and a senior, agreed: "I never heard much about racism until the past couple days."

A vigil is planned for Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. at the school.

You can watch more interviews with the students from Oregon City High School here:

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker