100 South Orange, New Jersey Middle School Students Refuse To Pose With Paul Ryan

Half of a South Orange, New Jersey middle school class cause a stir during their field trip in Washington, D.C. for refusing to take a picture with Republican Speaker Of The House Paul Ryan. 

Although Ryan’s official Instagram features a photo of him fist bumping with one student with dozens of others in the group shot from South Orange Middle School in South Orange, New Jersey, it doesn’t show the 100 other students choosing to sit out watching this photo-op happen.

The students found out about the photo-op the night before it happened, however, student Matthew Malespina couldn’t go through with the picture. “It’s not just a picture,” he said. “It’s being associated with a person who puts his party before his country. I’m just not going to do it,” Malespina texted to his mother.

Although 100 chose not to be a part of the photo-op, 100 did, including student Miles Handelman.

“I thought it would be very cool just seeing the man who is the third most powerful man in our country. It would be cool, even if you disagree with him,” Handelman said.

According to ABC News, students say Ryan left the group, entirely unaware of the eighth grade dissidents watching from a distance.