CLIFFSIDE PARK -- Dozens of students walked out of classes in protest at Cliffside Park High School on Monday, days after a video of a teacher telling children to "speak American" appeared on social media.

Around 11:30 a.m., a fire alarm was pulled and hundreds of students came outside the school accompanied by staff members.

Some students in this heavily-Hispanic district enthusiastically waved flags symbolizing their heritage as cheers went up from crowds gathered outside.

"Men and women are fighting. They are not fighting for your right to speak Spanish," the teacher says in the video. "They are fighting for your right to speak American."

Kleidon Ndreu, president of the high school student council, said Monday a closed-session board of education meeting was planned to discuss the incident.

"It's very premature," Ndreu told a throng of news media outside the school. "We need to let the administration do what it is going to do. They are taking this very seriously."

Schools superintendent Michael J. Romagnino has not yet commented on the uproar created by the video or its fallout.

"We won't have any comment until we research both sides of this situation," said Louis Alfano, the district's business administrator. Alfano said he expected the board would release a public statement in the coming days.

Some students said they were hurt by the yet-to-be publicly identified teacher's words.

"It's wrong and it hurt me a lot," said Wagner Vasquez, 15, whose family came here from the Dominican Republic. "A lot of people here are hurt."

Anthony Campos, 16, said he saw the video on Snapchat minutes after it was posted.

"Coming from an English teacher -- saying to speak American -- that was just stupid," Campos said.

Students groan as the unidentified female teacher says, "you want to leave, be disrespectful" and one boy gets up from his desk and exits the frame. The woman then says, "goodbye, goodbye," as the camera pans to the door where at least one student seems to be exiting the classroom.

Cliffside Park's population is about 28 percent Hispanic, according to census figures.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.