Approximately 200 students walked out of class on May 15, making their way to the SCHS’s football field and spelling out “Halt” with their bodies in protest of the non-renewal of Principal Mike Halt’s contract.

In the last month, rumors circulated that the denial of his contract were based on “political reasons,” according to several SCHS students I interviewed.

Taylor Cheatham (10) says, “I saw it on the Instagram page and a lot of my friends were really passionate about the cause.” Cheatham left her third period yoga class and made her way to the field.

“We were out there for basically all of third period so about an hour and a half. It was  pouring rain the entire time,” said Cheatham.

Jesse Reguerin (10) left his third period P.E. class and followed many of the students out to the football field. “[The P.E. teacher] was supportive and let us go,” said Reguerin.

The walk-out was likely encouraged by  Cale Foreman (12)  and other seniors who organized the protest by rallying support for Halt.

The after effects involved the District threatening the office to handout office referrals and truancies for students who left their third period. While Reguerin says only some students received truancies, Cheatham said many of the students out there received only excused absences.

“I think it showed the district how serious the students are, not just the teachers,” Cheatham says.

The tension between Halt and his supervisors may have its roots in a scheduling mix-up going back to the beginning of the year, in which hundreds of students had holes in their schedules or their schedules had multiples of the same subject.

Some of the academic advisors were new to the job, filling a vacuum created when key academic advisers left in the prior year. Halt asked the guidance team to fix the schedules, by hand if necessary. But later he was ordered by his superiors to start the process over from scratch, according to sources inside San Clemente High School who wish to remain anonymous.

Another possible reason for his non-renewal includes his handling of a situation involving a teacher’s decision to show the film, “The Artist is Present,” which contained scenes containing nudity and self-mutilation. The teacher, Roderick Urquidi, claimed that his decision to show the film to his AP Art History class was justifiable because it was a college-level art class, according to postings in the comment thread of a San Clemente Times letter to the editor.

In the thread, many of Urquidi’s formers students come to his defense, saying what an outstanding teacher he is. Detractors claim the film was not appropriate. It is not known whether permission slips were obtained or whether or not the non-renewal of Halt and this incident are connected.

The School Board heard almost two hours of public comment on the issue of Halt’s non-renewal last week, prompting some to call for a fuller investigation.

San Clemente High School student continually support Mr. Halt through unifying on social media, writing “We like Mike” on cars, and handing out T-shirts and other clothing items to support Mike Halt.