PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Multnomah County Republican Party accused Portland Public Schools of brainwashing students against the Second Amendment and all guns.
The party believes Portland teachers and administrators - not students - organized the walkouts on March 14 to remember the victims of the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, according to a news release sent Tuesday.
James Buchal, chair of the Multnomah County Republican Party, filed a public records request with the school district to get any emails, documents and lists of taxpayer-funded school supplies related to the March 14 walkout.
Buchal says angry parents and party members contacted him, believing the walkout was teacher-led and a violation of state code.
In a press release announcing the public records request filing, Buchal used the word "brainwashing" to describe the documents he says are pushing political beliefs on students.
"I think that's a fair word," Buchal said.
Buchal says inside those documents, he'll likely find school staff are pushing their liberal, anti-gun political views illegally on Portland students.
"I think yes, the Second Amendment is under attack and yes, I think taxpayer money is being used for that attack," he said.
It was March 14 when hundreds of thousands of kids streamed out of schools nationwide.
At Portland's Lincoln High School, students made speeches, and lined up 17 empty desks up on the sports field to symbolize the loss of the 17 people killed in the Parkland shooting. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler joined them.
Governor Kate Brown attended the walkout at Roosevelt High School.
Buchal says it's an illusion to think this was all student-planned. The Republican Party and some angry parents are trying to prove school staff planned the political message, which they say is a violation of state code, and illegally wasted education dollars.
"What offends us is the manipulation of the children, turning them into little poster carriers, and 'ban guns, ban guns, ban the NRA', it's a consistent and extreme message that's being propagated here. The cornerstone of it is there's an Oregon administrative code on how teachers are supposed to behave and they're not supposed to misuse students for their own policy advocacy. There's also state statutes against hijacking educational funds and using them for political purposes," Buchal said.
Outside of Lincoln High School, we asked students what they thought. Abby Blackford called the idea ridiculous.
"We aren't brainwashed by our teachers. We come to our thoughts about gun control laws and what happens in this country on our own. Watching people our age getting killed in our schools, that scares us. It's not our teachers pushing us. We are afraid, we are scared. We led that walkout," she said.
KGW asked another student, Kai Hilbourne if teachers tell students what to think about guns and the Second Amendment.
"Nope. I'd say it's really just coming from students. The idea we're being brainwashed is completely wrong. The students started this. We did it because we are in danger ourselves, it's not like we were told to do anything," he said.
Neither the school district or the teachers union had availability to talk about the issue on camera Tuesday. PPS Deputy Superintendent of Instruction and School Communities, Dr. Yvonne Curtis, pointed to this earlier statement:
"The (school shooting) events have also showcased an important and teachable moment for our students and community—the power that organized civil disobedience and direct action, often lead by students, can have on creating lasting social change. And while our current policies do not allow Portland Public School employees to encourage, sponsor or participate in a "walkout", we can provide our students with guidance and support to express their views, opinions and possibilities for civic engagement on this issue within school buildings."
According to state public records request laws, the district has a "reasonable amount of time" to produce all those public records surrounding the walkout. The Multnomah County Republican Party says it'll wait to see what's in them before considering a lawsuit.