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WAKE COUNTY -- A trial or mediation. That's the situation for 30 protesters arrested at Wake School Board meetings in 2010.

Last month, the school board rejected mediation so the protesters are now awaiting trial.

They were arrested and charged with trespassing and other misdemeanors as they protested the school board eliminating the student diversity portion of the school assignment policy.

“They include eight pastors, 10 students, four mothers and two grandmothers of Wake County school students, and two veterans,” said Rev. Dr. Earl Johnson, pastor of Martin Street Baptist Church and president of the Raleigh-Wake Citizens Association.

Now the debate is whether the arrested protesters go to trial on their charges or seek mediation with the school board.

“We're done with this issue,” said board member John Tedesco. “These people committed the crime. The [district attorney's office] will make the decision if they want to press charges or not press charges or give [the protesters] community service. That's in the [district attorney's] hands right now.”

Board members say last year they agreed to mediation, but the protesters rejected the offer.

Protesters and their supporters said they also agreed to mediation, but the board took back its mediation offer just before republicans lost controlling majority of the board in December.

“After the elections, when the Republican majority was ousted, the outgoing chair of the school board made public statements that the defendants should be prosecuted and he no longer supported mediation,” Johnson said. “As a result, the district attorney, instead of sticking with the original tone to mediate these cases, has stated publicly in recent weeks his intention to seek trial for the protesters.”

School board members said the offer for mediation has already come and gone.

“It's time for this board and this community to move past this,” Tedesco said. “This is in the hands of the district attorney at this time.”

Clergy and concerned citizens plan to attend the school board's next meeting Feb. 7 to urge board members to reconsider mediation.

Wake County District Attorney Colon Willoughby says the trials could start as early as next month.