Students at Alleman High School want answers as to why their Assistant Principal, Michelle Gau, is being dismissed from her position.
Gau has been a faculty member at Alleman High School for 32 years. When students heard she would not be returning for the next school year, they took action.
Friday, June 6, 2014, students, parents, and alumni were set to gather outside of Alleman High School to march in support of Gau. The day before the march, several students convened at Prospect Park in Moline to draw posters that show their gratitude to Gau.
"We're making posters for our event we are having Friday," said Evan Thornton, a junior at Alleman High who’s the leader that rallied his fellow schoolmates together. "We want to show Ms. Gau how much she is appreciated."
Prospect Park looked like a grassy rainbow as students sprawled on the ground, creating more than 50 posters. Some had hearts, others shined with glitter. All of the signs were different, but students were saying the same thing.
"Ms. Gau is compassionate, dedicated and committed to her work," one student said; and another added, "I don’t know what Alleman will do without her."
As the students sat in their circle drawing and coloring their posters, they discussed the times they had with Gau. Memories blew through the air like a spring breeze. Some of them talked about how they heard the news.
“My mom woke me up out of bed and told me,” Thornton said.
As students began to brush fresh mowed grass of their knees and pick up their posters, they walked off as one group with one cause.
“We’re just a big Alleman family. That’s what we say at Alleman. We all kind of like to look out for each other, so when one of us is being taken away from the family, we have to protect,” Thornton said.
News 8 reached out to the Diocese of Peoria Thursday, June 5, but they didn’t return our call.