More than 200 Southwest DeKalb High School students and parents have been picketing and singing songs of praise in front of Decatur school in support of suspended music teacher Nathan Grigsby.

During the Jan. 23 and 26 protests, the students who are members of Grigsby's chorus class and the school's Inspirational Voices choir, which he led, armed themselves with handwritten signs calling for Grigsby's reinstatement.

See video of the Inspirational Voices performing.

The 22-year teacher, who has taught at Southwest DeKalb High for eight years, was suspended without pay on because of a video that was made in his classroom on Dec. 11 that surfaced on Facebook.

The 45-second video, which has been taken off the website, showed students engaged in a risque dance while Grigsby's back was turned. It was recorded by a student on a cell phone during "Pass the Mic," a weekly Friday event that parents say Grigsby held in his classroom during fourth period for students to show off their musical talents.

Dexter Echols, a school volunteer, said the teacher was playing the piano and couldn't see over it to see what the students were doing.

"When you got kids crowded around you can't see," said Echols, who has volunteered at the school for 11 years. "When he saw what was going on he ran over and stopped them, but the video doesn't show that."

Melody Feaster, whose son sings in the choir, said the students were forced onto the picket line because no one would answer their questions.

"They began protesting by wearing ribbons to school that stated they wanted Grigsby to return," she said. "We as parents did not want this, but they [the students] felt that nobody was listening and no one was paying attention."

DeKalb School System spokesman Dale Davis said that he could not discuss why Grigsby was suspended or for how long.

"I can't go into any specifics as far as this personnel issue," he said.

A Jan. 27 DeKalb School Board hearing into Grigsby's termination was cancelled after Grigsby's attorney, John Davis, asked for a continuance. Dale Davis said that a new date for the hearing has not yet been set.

Feaster said Grigsby's suspension and possible termination is an injustice.

"The two boys who did the dance were not punished," she said. "They are punishing him for the acts of the students."

School Board member Jay Cunningham, who watched the Jan. 23 protest at the school, said the incident is being investigated but would not elaborate further. Cunningham, whose District 5 includes Southwest DeKalb, said he met with the parents for three hours.

School principal John Prince and area superintendent Dr. Ralph Simpson also watched the protests with several school system police officers. Prince tried unsuccessfully several times during the protest to get the students to go back to class.

At Monday's protest, the students performed praise songs from 1:45 p.m. until after the end of the school day at 3:10 p.m.

Caleicia Lee, a 17-year-old 11th-grader and chorus member, said that Grigsby is an excellent teacher.

"He has turned people's life around," she said. "I go through a lot at home and he is supportive of me. It's like I minister through music and he helped me find who the Lord is really."

Derian Barnett, a 16-year-old chorus student, called Grigsby a father figure.

"People have parents that might be strung out on drugs and stuff and he'll tell them to keep their heads up," he said. "You can come talk him about anything."

In protest, the two said they have not practiced since Grigsby was suspended.

"We want our teacher back," Caleicia said.

Her mother, Terry Lee, who joined the protest, said she is livid that Grigsby is not in the classroom.

"These kids could be out there getting in trouble, but they are singing songs of praise instead," she said.

Feaster said that Grigsby is a man of God, then a man of this world.

"We are talking about 200 students, that when he says, 'we got to sing,' they sing powerful and represent this school well," she said. "The other children in the school respect him, because he treats them with respect."