Wang Zhe, male, is a high school student at the No.1 Senior High School in Changtu County, Liaoning Province. On February 18, 2004, the Political and Education Department Director, Shan Wu, slandered Falun Gong practitioners in a speech he made at the High School. That evening, Mr. Wang went to school supervisor Ms. Zhang Guiyan's office to explain the true facts about Falun Gong. His history teacher, Liu Fucai, was also present. Mr. Wang talked about the benefits he had experienced from practicing Falun Gong. He told them about the state-run media's slander, and persecution of Falun Gong and Falun Gong practitioners. He also explained that what Shan Wu had said about Falun Gong practitioners was not true at all.

The supervisor Ms. Zhang made positive remarks about Mr. Wang's performance, saying that he was studious and had good character. Wang Fucai then commented that Mr. Wang had been both rational and factual in his discussion, and discussed the idea of reporting these facts to the school. The next day, however, Mr. Wang's father was asked to come to the school. The school authorities told him that Mr. Wang had promoted Falun Gong to the teachers, so the school had decided to expel him.

On April 5, 2004, Mr. Wang and his mother went to his school to request his re-enrollment . The deputy headmaster, Wang Zheyan, said that he could not make the decision, so the next day they returned to ask again. Sun Yuhui, the headmaster, told them he would report their case to the police department. Upon hearing the school's report, Zhao Ruyan, the Changtu County Deputy Party Secretary, and Liu Jianxin, Sun Guohui and Ma Hongwei from the national security section, led by Sun Yuhui and Wang Zhiyan, the school headmasters, arrested Mr. Wang and sent him to a county detention center.