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KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri Governor Jay Nixon spoke at an assembly Thursday at Lincoln Prep. High School. During a speech, several students stood with their hands up, taking a stand against the situation in Ferguson. But it’s what’s happened to the students after the protest that’s now making headlines.

“When you have a chance you should take it,” Lincoln sophomore Haley Lewis said.

Haley took a chance, with 12 of her classmates. When they heard Governor Nixon was coming to their school, they wanted to make a statement.

“I just think he should’ve been in Ferguson handling things instead of here congratulating us on such a minute thing,” Haley said.

The governor was at the school to present an award, and in the middle of the speech, Haley and her classmates stood up.

“We put our hands up. About thirty seconds later we were escorted out and sent to the office,” she said.

Haley said the whole auditorium was warned by administration that this was not the time or place for personal opinions or beliefs.

“I did not mean to disrespect the school or disrespect anyone who works for it, but under the circumstances how could I not?” she said.

The students were taken to the office where Lewis said they all were scolded and told they would be punished for the silent protest.

“She called me, I thought she was joking, I thought she was pranking me. Because she doesn’t get in trouble,” Haley’s mom, Lisa Lewis, said.

Haley explained to her mom that she stood up silently with her hands in the air, protesting the situation in Ferguson.

“I was like, go baby!” Lisa said.

“First amendment, right to protest, freedom of speech. They said we’re not punishing you for that. We’re punishing for you defying us. I said we only defied you because you were trying to take away our rights,” Haley said.

The district said it was following the code of conduct, but Haley and her mom don’t understand how an administration could punish students for exercising a right they’re taught in the classroom.

“That wasn’t a troublemaking thing, that was a group of human beings that got together and stood up for humanity,” Lisa said.

The group of 12 students will face a Saturday detention. Haley says the group doesn’t plan to fight the punishment.