An Ohio high school student says he tried to remain nonpolitical during school walkouts over gun violence and was suspended for a day because he stayed in a classroom instead of joining protests or the alternative, a study hall.

Hilliard senior Jacob Shoemaker says school isn't the place for politics, and he wasn't taking sides.

The district says some students participated Wednesday in a nonpolitical memorial for Florida school shooting victims, and the alternative let non-participating students remain supervised.

Jacob's citation for not following instructions was shared online, prompting a flood of messages to his father.

Scott Shoemaker says some people thought his son was suspended for walking out, and angry comments accumulated, including some that mistook Scott for the principal. He says he also got a couple death threats.