Why Distressed Students in Wappingers Falls Are Leaving Shoes at School

The shocking imagery has gotten a lot of attention online in the local community. Here's why both students and parents are leaving their shoes with a note inside at entrances of school district offices.

Comments and shares are rolling in on Hudson Valley Facebook community groups of shoes piled up outside a local school district's front entrance.

We have received several photos outside of the Wappinger Central School district office. What are all of these shoes doing there and what do they mean? Many people are curious.

The photos are getting a lot attention and that's what they're supposed to do.

Christine Moretti

We did some digging online and we quickly found the answer.

The display is a result of students and parents silently and peacefully protesting against a district wide vaccine mandate in schools across New York.

A post was circulating on social media leaving these instructions:

"Please leave a pair of shoes with a note to represent each child who will leave the district if the vax is require. All shoes will be collected and donated. Drop off on 11/18 after 7:30 PM at central office for your district."

It's called a shoe drop protest.

The protest appears to have drawn several participants at the Wappingers location. Do you know if shoes were left at other district offices throughout the Hudson Valley region?

Shoe drop protests have been used over the past several decades all over the world to bring awareness to several different issues such as climate change and gun violence.