These Philly students walked out of their high school 3 days running. Here’s why.

Large numbers of Bodine High School students walked out of class for the three days before spring break. Protests won’t stop, they say, until things change.

Staff and students say conditions at the acclaimed magnet school have deteriorated, with a “toxic culture,” frequent fights, dress codes that target female students, and a general lack of respect in the building.

“There’s a really strong disconnect between the administration and staff and students,” said Aisha Siryon, a Bodine 12th grader.

“This principal is totally absent — she stays in her office, with the door closed. Even if the students wanted to build relationship with her, they couldn’t,” said Alexianie Negron, a junior.

The school’s close-knit community has largely dissolved, detractors say; many staff no longer feel supported, and students lament a lack of voice. Parent Angelica Aguirre, who sits on the School Advisory Council, said parent feedback is heard, then ignored.

“We feel like we’re being talked at,” said Aguirre, whose son, Ricardo, is a junior at Bodine.

“There’s been so many fights. There’s no repercussions for anything. You can be late, you can fight, you can not come to school — no one gets called, nothing happens to anyone for anything. Nothing is reported,” said one Bodine teacher, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisal.

Desmond Farlow, a Bodine junior, said students have been asking for changes all year. Walkouts were necessary, he said, because under the school’s current leadership “it’s been a steep downhill,” Farlow said. “There is no communication. Things aren’t being handled.”

Principal Michele Wilson-Dawson has led the school for three years; Philadelphia School District officials said she was unavailable for comment.

Ted Domers, the assistant superintendent responsible for Bodine, was at the school on North Fourth Street in Northern Liberties on Thursday and Friday before spring break, when students left class and ultimately walked out. He will lead a town hall meeting Monday.

Monica Lewis, a district spokesperson, said the school system is “committed to having each school be a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment to learn and work” and said early discussions between central office staff and students yielded plans for the establishment of a student government.

Lewis acknowledged student and staff concerns and said: “Any person, whether the alleged victim or not, may submit a report alleging bullying, harassment or discrimination, this includes students, parents/guardians and employees. We take these allegations very seriously, and all reported concerns will be investigated. In this particular matter, district leadership will continue to be available to work with students and staff to determine how to best move forward together.”

Bodine, founded 41 years ago as an international affairs partnership between the World Affairs Council and the Philadelphia School District, educates about 650 students. It offers multiple International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement classes and has traditionally been hailed for extracurriculars, civics, and study-abroad opportunities. But some of those programs are now tenuous or not happening because of school conditions, staffers say — for the first time in years, there was no Bodine international day, for instance.

“Bodine’s always been a small place that felt like a family; that was the thing that made it special,” said another staffer, who also asked not to be identified for fear of retaliation. “Now there’s this divide.”

A third staffer said there has been a lack of sensitivity from the administration around the identities of LGBTQ and trans students, as well as uneven dress-code enforcement.

“It’s very focused on girls and it’s very inconsistent — a lot of our female students don’t feel very safe coming to school, feel targeted about the way they dress,” the third staffer said. If a young woman is wearing a tank top with straps an administrator feels are too thin, for instance, administrators might say “‘cover yourself up or you’re going to get the boys rowdy,’” the third staffer said. “Students are really upset about the way they’ve been talked to. Girls have said they feel body-shamed.”

In what has been a universally difficult school year for educators and students, with the pandemic, a gun violence epidemic, and significant student mental health needs, Bodine’s conditions stand out, staff say.

“I love the teachers I work with, I love the students. It’s nearly impossible to do my job. I feel like this whole year I’ve been in school, it’s traumatic being there. It’s incredibly stressful for all of us,” said the second educator.

When Janiyah Goldsborough was a freshman at Bodine, things were different, more settled and cohesive, with more to do. Goldsborough, now a senior, said she hardly recognizes the school.

“I feel like it just keeps getting more and more messed up,” said Goldsborough. “Things have got to change.”

Students said they will listen to what administrators have to say Monday but want quick action — or else they’ll keep protesting.