The student were chanting "C.P. United," the initials of their high school, Cliffside Park High School, as they walked out of fourth period, even after the school's principal warned over a loudspeaker that anyone who walked out would be disciplined.
In a video recorded on Snapchat by one of the students, a teacher at the High School can be heard saying, "Men and women are fighting, they're not fighting for your right to speak Spanish. They're fighting for your right to speak American."
The video also shows students groaning, while getting up for their chairs and leaving the classroom in protest of the teacher's comment.
The unidentified female teacher says, "you want to leave, be disrespectful," as one male student gets up for this desk. The teacher is then heard saying "goodbye, goodbye" as a student appears to be exiting the classroom.
"I love this school to death but something like this is unacceptable," sophomore Patrick Martinez said, according to NBC.
Student Janelle Andrickson added: "[the teacher] disrespected an entire community and we want an apology."
— Tracie Strahan (@tstrahan4NY) October 16, 2017
Freshman Herbert Rodriguez said, "School is supposed to be a safe environment for children to learn, not a place where you feel attacked."
The school's superintendent, Michael J. Romagnino, has not yet commented on the video.
"We won't have any comment until we research both sides of this situation," Louis Alfano, the district's business administrator said, nj.com reported