‘Students should be in class’: LPS Wants Mass ICE Walkouts to End
by John Gage and Olivia White
Lincoln Public Schools (LPS) is asking parents for help as walkout protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement continue to spread throughout middle and high schools in the district. LPS superintendent, Dr. John Skretta, sent emails to parents of students in LPS middle and high schools.
“We are providing you with clear communication and enlisting your help as we continue to hear about more potential student-organized walkouts across the district,” Skretta said. “As a public school district we cannot approve, endorse, or promote student protests or walkouts.”
Skretta said that the district values freedom of expression and civic engagement, but wanted students to know that they were expected to continue attending class.
“We want to be very clear that students should be in class,” he said.
ICE Protests Growing in LPS
ICE protests have spread throughout the LPS district in the past two weeks. Walkouts have been held at over a dozen schools, starting with 300 students from Southeast High School last week. On Wednesday, nearly 1,500 students walked out of five different LPS schools.
LPS estimates over 3,600 students have participated in the walkouts, which is over 15% of the total high school and middle school students enrolled in the district. The largest walkout occurred at Lincoln High on Wednesday when 500 students joined a protest outside the state capitol building.
Photos and videos from the protests show students waving Mexican flags and holding signs including some inflammatory messages, such as, “F--- ICE” and “ICE IS JUST KKK.” Some of the students on Wednesday attended a launch announcement of Democratic attorney general candidate Jocelyn Brasher that coincided with the protests.
LPS Concerned for Student Safety
Skretta said his concern about the protests stems from the fact that the district cannot protect students once they leave school property.
“We want to make sure families and students clearly understand the potential safety risks of student walkouts and protests off campus,” he said. “When students leave campus during the school day, they are no longer under the direct supervision of adults who know them and care about their well-being.”
Skretta said that LPS staff “cannot and do not supervise students” once they leave school property and participate in a protest or walkout. He said he wants students to find another avenue than walkouts to express their political viewpoint.
“When we learn of a student-led walkout being organized, our administrators have a conversation with students to let them know we do not approve of a walkout,” he said. “We encourage them to find other appropriate ways to elevate their concerns to the community.”
A protest in another part of the state has already led to a student being injured. On February 4, a student was struck by a car outside of Fremont High School during an anti-ICE protest.
Police issued a citation to the driver of the car for leaving the scene and issued five other citations to one adult and four juveniles. The citations included disorderly conduct, obstructing a police officer, criminal mischief, and theft.
LPS Plans to Enforce Attendance Procedures
Skretta said that students will face potential consequences if they participate in walkouts. “Attendance procedures are applied consistently. Students who leave class for a walkout and return to the same class are recorded as tardy,” he said. “If they leave for longer, they will be counted absent. Normal consequences for tardies and absences will apply.”
The superintendent noted in his message to middle school parents that students could incur additional disciplinary actions as those schools “do not have open campuses, and students are not allowed to leave without permission.” Skretta said that LPS staff plan to make “every reasonable effort” to prevent students from leaving schools.
— John Gage is the Executive Editor of The Plains Sentinel.
— Olivia White is a freelance reporter with The Plains Sentinel. She previously was a staff writer for The Northside Sun.
