The Georgia student who was suspended after snapping viral photos of a packed hallway at her school has had her suspension canceled, according to statements made by her mother to various news outlets.
The photo shows a hallway at North Paulding High School where students are crowded while moving between classes. In the photo, students are standing shoulder to shoulder next to each other and very few are wearing masks. Two students were reportedly suspended for taking photos, one being Hannah Watters, a sophomore at the school. The school argued that Watters broke several rules including using her phone during passing, posting to social media during school, and taking photos of minors.
Watters said she felt it was necessary to share what it looked like inside her school.
“I was concerned for the safety of everyone in that building and everyone in the county because precautions that the CDC and guidelines that the CDC has been telling us for months now, weren’t being followed,” Watters said to CNN.
“I’d like to say this is some good and necessary trouble,” Watters told CNN, echoing the words of the late John Lewis. “My biggest concern is not only about me being safe, it’s about everyone being safe because behind every teacher, student and staff member there is a family, there are friends, and I would just want to keep everyone safe.”
On Friday, Watters tweeted that the school had “deleted her suspension,” and that she could go back to school on Monday.
Her mother Lynne Watters confirmed that the suspension would be canceled and removed from her record after she spoke with the school’s principal.
“The principal just said that they were very sorry for any negative attention that this has brought upon her, and that in the future they would like for her to come to the administration with any safety concerns she has,” Watters told The Washington Post in a text message. “[The principal] confirmed that she will have no disciplinary action on her record and she can return to school on Monday.”
It is unclear if the other student who was suspended, though had not come out publicly with their story, has also had their suspension deleted.
