Utah students protest school on MLK Day


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MOAB — Students at Grand County High School, upset over school being in session on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, are taking their protest to the streets.

Junior Madison Johnson wrote a letter to the superintendent asking that the Grand County School District change its policy in the future. Instead of attending class Monday, she and her classmates read Dr. King's speeches and letters outside the school and on the streets of Moab and circulated a petition in support of changing the school calendar starting next year and beyond.

"I think we should give him respect on this day," Johnson told KSL. "I think it's disrespectful to go about school."

Johnson says she is inspired in part by her six-year-old sister, Mya, who is biracial.

"I hope that what I do today definitely sets up the future, and what it will look like for her," Johnson says.


I think we should give him respect on this day. I think it's disrespectful to go about school.

–Junior Madison Johnson, student


Dr. Stephen Crane, Superintendent of Grand County, says the calendar committee chose to have school today intentionally.

"They decided that we would honor Dr. King in a more education fashion if we actually gave instruciton on that day concerning him," Dr. Crane says. "In each of our schools, we have activities to honor Martin Luther King and to help students understand the importance of his life and what he did for this country."

Johnson's mother, Sherri Costanza, has been supportive of her daughter's protest. She says many people have been supportive, but not all.

"We've gotten a couple fingers, we've had people completely making it obvious they are looking the other way; other than that, we are getting a lot of support here in Moab," Costanza says.

The spokesperson for the Salt Lake chapter of the NAACP says she was surprised to hear some schools in the area are in session today.

KSL reached out to all of Utah's school districts. In addition to Grand County, some schools in Daggett and Duchesne Counties told us with a four-day schedule, they have to be in school most Monday holidays or they won't get enough of the required hours in before summer. Rich County is also in session today.

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**Video Contributor:** Nicole Vowell ![](http://beacon.deseretconnect.com/beacon.gif?cid=245434&pid=4)

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