Parents Requested School Not Acknowledge Trayvon Martin’s Death, School District Says

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Marchers gathered in New York City to protest the investigation of Trayvon Martin's death. Marchers in the "Million Hoodie March" wore sweatshirts similar to one Martin was wearing at the time of his death.

This morning, the chief communications director for the Miami-Dade County school district, John Schuster said there is a reason the school did not announce Martin’s death on campus.

“Shortly after Trayvon’s death, his parents asked the school’s principal for privacy in the matter,” Schuster said.

“So counselors couldn’t do what they normally do. They couldn’t move from room to room and tell students who had passed away.”

But the school did make an announcement yesterday anyway, after StateImpact Florida started asking around.

Schuster says there’s a reason for that too.

“Now we have a lot of students who are expressing anger, frustration, and they really need to talk to a counselor,” Schuster said. “So its grown beyond those initial wishes of the parents and we’re addressing a new set of issues that students are expressing to us.”

Schuster says students and staff have always had access to one of the school counselor’s if they asked to speak with one.

“As new information has become available regarding the student’s death, counselors continue to be available to address students’ grief, frustration, and anger about the death of their fellow student.”

We’ve updated both of yesterday’s stories to include the new information.