On January 20, around 100 students partook in a demonstration in protest against the actions being taken by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Several students voiced their opinions surrounding ICE’s recent actions.
“I don’t think that they should be authorized to attack people and harass them out of their homes to the deportation centers,” senior Kaumbi Mulwanda said.
One example of this is when ChongLy “Scott” Thao was held at gunpoint by ICE in St Paul, Minnesota, and then forced into subfreezing temperatures without adequate clothing.
Although the demonstration was originally planned to take place outside, principal Michelle Luttrell announced that morning that the walkout would be moved inside due to weather circumstances in alignment with school policy. “We were in the single digits with the wind chill, so we followed what the policy was,” Luttrell said.
Students were disappointed with this decision, since the protest being held indoors would limit visibility.
“I think that it’s stupid that the reason why they won’t let us go outside as well is because it’s too cold,” junior Lily Kingsolver said. “It’s cold, but if you believe in something or truly want something to happen, you don’t care whether it’s cold or whether there’s something else going on that impacts it, you just do it anyway.”
Students were also frustrated with other restrictions imposed by the policy.
“We’re showing to each other that we care about the cause, but it’s also not showing anything to society,” senior Nate Wolf said. “No one’s going to get the bigger message if we’re not actively disrupting anything.”
In accordance with Loudoun County Public School Policy 8273, student demonstrations must be held “during noninstructional time and in a manner that does not or is not likely to create a substantial disruption to school operations,” and states the demonstration must be held in “designated area inside of the school or an area outside of the school that is not in public view.” Furthermore, “signs, flags, pictures, banners, and all other visual props will not be permitted.”
According to Chief Communications and Community Engagement Officer Natalie Allen, noninstructional time is “any time where a student is not scheduled to be in a classroom receiving instruction from a teacher such as lunch or an advisory period.”
At our school, student organizers and school administration agreed that the demonstration could take place during the last 15 minutes of first block. “We had more staff in the morning available to help us if we needed it,” Luttrell said. “And it was at a time that was of lesser disruption than at two o’clock, which tails into early release.”
Student frustrations about this walkout are not new. Tinker v. Des Moines (1969), a case about high school students and freedom of expression, made it all the way to the Supreme Court. Several students were suspended for wearing black armbands in silent protest against the Vietnam War. Parents sued the school, stating that the suspensions were violating the students’ freedom of speech. The Supreme Court ruled that school administration could not limit freedom of human expression if it did not disrupt the learning environment.
However, in Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988), the Supreme Court ruled that school newspapers could not publish articles that were deemed inappropriate and were not sanctioned by the school administration. Arguments included the fact that the newspaper was an educational tool rather than a public forum of opinions.
Discourse surrounding how limited freedom of speech is for students has existed for decades. Regardless, both cases highlight the fact that school is primarily for education, not personal expression. In addition, students should conduct their demonstration in a peaceful manner that does not threaten or create confrontation with other students.
“You have a voice,” Luttrell said. “We want you to honor your voice. We want to encourage you to find your voice, and to figure out what you believe in and to voice it. But we’ve got to do it in the right way. In a way that’s not going to be disruptive or unsafe.”
