After what he called “countless empty promises by the administration,” Deer Lakes High School senior Kevin Hoffman said he is compelled to speak up about bullying against him not being handled by the school.

Since middle school, he said, he has faced racism, sexual harassment and threats. Each time he has reported an incident, he has seen discipline from the administration go nowhere. He wants to change that.

“I am almost done with high school. However, I want everything to be better for kids as a minority or kids being bullied in general,” he said.

Hoffman and senior Abygail Cacurak organized a walkout protest for Friday in front of Deer Lakes High School at 1:40 p.m., the end of eighth period.

“We will collectively protest inaction by demanding a progressive change for the students who are discriminated against on a daily basis — specifically to highlight the lack of actions that (the administration) is taking to eliminate these issues,” said the text of a letter announcing the walkout.

Students asked for the administration’s support, and hope to have their voices and concerns heard.

“We want to raise awareness that bullying is a major problem, and other students and staff are concerned about bullying, and things should be done to educate us from a younger age,” Hoffman said.

Deer Lakes released a statement last week in response to the letter, informing the public it was aware of the walkout. The school said it supported the students’ First Amendment rights and asked for a peaceful protest that limits disruptions to the learning environment.

“As a school district community, we must ensure we balance the safety of our schools with allowing our students to exercise their freedom of speech. We also must respect the rights of all students — including those who wish not to participate in a protest,” the statement said.

The district’s letter continues to say that administrators will meet with the organizers and law enforcement will be on campus to ensure safety.

Zoe Seitz, a junior, created an online petition titled “Listen to Your Students, Deer Lakes” on April 15 to raise awareness about the bullying problem at the school and gain support from peers.

While she has not encountered bullying herself, she said she has seen her friends experience sexual harassment and racism at the school.

“Our superiors have done nothing. They have told us to deal with it or shrugged it off. They haven’t given proper discipline,” she said.

Her petition was separate from the walkout, but the two would link when Cacurak reached out to Seitz about the petition.

The school district’s statement said administrators receive bullying and harassment training to prevent and respond to incidents, such as discrimination.

The school has made an effort to address bullying and mental health issues. A Hope Squad was launched in March to teach students how to lead their peers to mental health resources and help those who might be struggling. The Team Upstanders Program, an anti-bullying initiative led by “90210” actor Trevor Donovan, was implemented in late March . The program chooses 11 student ambassadors to promote an anti-bullying environment and reward acts of kindness done throughout the school.

Hoffman hopes the walkout results in more transparency in how bullying incidents are investigated.

“We just hope that something is actually looked at further, by seeing things change,” he said.

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