A group of Tanner students staged a walkout Tuesday in support of Principal Louis Gordon, who was placed on paid administrative leave Monday by Limestone County Schools.

Right around lunchtime, at least 50 students filed quietly out of the school, walked to the edge of the parking lot and stood shoulder-to-shoulder.

Aside from one female student who called out, “We love you Mr. Gordon,” the protesters were nearly silent. A few minutes into the demonstration, acting-Principal Deborah Kenyon ushered the students back into the school. She said the students would not be reprimanded for their actions.

Marie Coleman, a 1986 Tanner graduate, came to show her support for the protesting students.

“These kids want the community and Central Office to know that they are behind Mr. Gordon, that he has done good things for this school and made changes for the better,” Coleman said.

Gordon’s first year at Tanner has been marred by division.

“It all boils down to change,” Coleman said. “They just don’t want change.”

As previously reported by The News Courier, Gordon has instituted numerous changes in the school, including hiring a full-time bilingual translator, embedding tutoring times into the school day, increasing the frequency with which progress reports are sent home, and pushing college- and career-readiness programs.

According to the school’s website, 30 percent of the 466 students at the 6-12 school are now on the honor roll. The percentage of students applying for college has surged from 25 percent last year to 75 percent this year. Security has also been tightened since Gordon came aboard. School doors remain locked at all times, and visitors must check in at the front office.

Despite these seemingly positive changes, the school remains fractured — with students and teachers taking sides either for or against Gordon.

Coleman said she believes some of the teachers at Tanner are trying to undermine the principal.

Just a few months into the 2017 school year, a group of Tanner teachers circulated an email containing 27 complaints against Gordon. Most of the grievances called into question his leadership style or newly implemented policies. In October, an unnamed student used his cellphone to video-record a teacher making disparaging comments against the principal. A copy of the video was given to The News Courier Tuesday. Amy Bates, a sixth-grade math teacher, played for her students a recording of a contentious conversation that took place between her and Gordon.

During the course of the video, she called Gordon “unprofessional, a joke and a waste of money.”

She responded to one student who said, “Gordon won’t last long” by saying, “I pray to God every day” that he won’t.

She also accused Gordon of calling her son, a student at Tanner, a white supremacist. An accusation that led her to file a complaint against Gordon with the Limestone County Schools Central Office.

On March 3, Bates posted a lengthy apology on her personal Facebook page regarding the video.

According to her post, Bates admitted “having that recording playing while students were present was unprofessional of me. This video (which is a direct violation of LCS cellphone policy) was taken back in October and happens to be on the very day that I was verbally confronted in my classroom (with students present) by the same principal that you all say I have no respect for.”

She went on to say she and the principal have agreed to disagree and “move on and work together for the students.”

Cynthia Sykes, a 1976 Tanner graduate who has a nephew at the school, said the recording confirms the school is divided. Sykes was among a handful of community members who showed up to support Tuesday’s student walkout. She said she believes the majority of the kids at Tanner like the principal, but some teachers are trying to turn the kids against him. Sykes would like the district to look into Bates’ actions.

Tommy Hunter, director of human resources and operations for Limestone County Schools, declined to say whether he had seen the video but said, “if we were to see a video of someone speaking against a principal in front of students during class time we would investigate it.”

Hunter, who was present during the Tanner walkout, commended the student protesters for being “orderly” and “peaceful,” but stressed the need for safety.

“We understand that students have the right to voice their opinions,” he said. “We want to hear their opinions and views but every time students are outside the building there is a safety concern, and we wanted to make sure that the students are protected.”

Gordon was placed on paid administrative leave while Hunter conducts an investigation into accusations made against the principal.

Sisk remained tight lipped about the details surrounding the investigation, citing the ongoing nature of the probe and the need for privacy regarding personnel matters. Once complete, Sisk will decide if the accusations against Gordon are merited and make recommendations to the school board accordingly. The board will ultimately decide Gordon’s fate.