KATHLEEN, Fla. — Several Kathleen High students were arrested on Monday after a protest over the school's strict tardiness policy took a turn.

Students, along with some parents and staff, made plans over the weekend to meet at 6 a.m. on Monday morning in front of the campus, to voice their concerns and ask for their new principal, Daraford Jones, to resign.

“We feel like he treats us like inmates,” said senior Peyton Lang. “Locking the building and changing the bell schedules. We’ll be not even a minute late and they put us away when we could be learning.”

Mr. Jones enforced a few new rules that speak to the importance of being punctual, but many feel it’s too harsh.

Students and staff say that if a student is more than 1 minute late, they are locked out of the building and sent to another class where they are told to wait until their next period.

“Also, for homecoming girls aren’t allowed to wear dresses; they're not allowed to dance with anybody and the dance is on the football field,” said Kathleen High senior Alex Diez. “No other school is doing that; you should be able to dance, that’s what homecoming is for.”

We asked Principal Jones for comment and have yet to hear back.

Many students took to social media with their complaints, asking for the principal to resign.

“I’m all about discipline but he’s taking it too far,” said staff member Tomaris Hill. “These kids have been in quarantine for 2 years – they were looking forward to their homecoming dance and a lot of other stuff that Mr. Jones is trying to take away.”

Hill is one of many who has been active on social media sites about his discontent with the school’s new rules. Hill posted a Facebook Live showing dozens of kids locked out of their classrooms after they were late.

“If I’m a minute late, I would rather that kid have 49 minutes of instruction then say you’re late and that kid wastes the other 49 minutes,” said Hill.

Hill said he’s been working with the kids at Kathleen High as a mentor for four years.

“Mr. Jones started in January,” said Hill. “He met with the students and told them he didn’t feel like they deserved the change; he wants them to earn the change. I’m all for structure and discipline because I feel like that’s needed at a high school, but you have to balance that with social activity.”

The Polk County School District said while the protest was peaceful, some students were detained because the protest disrupted the ability for the school to operate properly.

Polk County Sheriff’s office confirmed that 15 students were arrested. Twelve were charged with Disruption of School Function and resisting officer without violence. One was charged with possession of a weapon on campus, and two were charged with other charges.

The school district also says it is talking to people at Kathleen High School to address their concerns.