Washington, DC – The dust has cleared and the tear gas cleared away, after an angry confrontation between students and police at McKinley Tech High school. But some of the riffed school employees cleaning out their desks are vowing to take legal action and continue protests. 229 teachers and 89 other public school employees got their walking papers Friday. Students upset about it got involved in a confrontation with police at McKinley Tech.

The laid off workers were allowed to clear out their personal belongings Saturday. Rhonda R. Robinson is a guidance counsellor with a master’s degree, who has worked at McKinley the past five years. She says most of the 11 people laid off at McKinley are all over 35 years old and tenured, so she wonders why they’re being let go. She and other fired employees say they are considering legal action against the school system, to try to get their jobs back.

Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee has said she had no choice but to conduct the reduction in force, because of a $43 million dollar budget shortfall.