A Metro Atlanta student claims that she faced retaliation from her high school after participating in the nationwide anti-ICE walkout.
The student, who wished to remain unidentified, told WSB-TV that Charles Drew High School suspended her shortly after she left the building in solidarity with other anti-ICE advocates across the country. As she tried to walk back to class, administrators informed her that she would face repercussions for her participation in the civil demonstration.
The school in Clayton County reportedly suspended the teenager for two days. However, the high schooler believes administrators unjustly punished her for the moment of social action.
“We all decided to collectively leave school and decided to protest like all the other students in Georgia,” she told the local news outlet.
The nationwide protest, dubbed the National Shutdown, took place on Jan. 30 in response to ongoing ICE raids in Minnesota and other U.S. cities. The shutdown aimed to enable participants to leave schools, work, and shopping activities to stage an economic blackout across the nation.
The student hoped to participate in the nationwide event, despite being a younger demonstrator.
“I feel like anybody has the right to speak on what they feel is right, and we can’t just be shut down because we’re students,” she added.
The student was among the thousands of fellow young Georgians who participated in the anti-ICE walkout, but who also faced apparent disciplinary action if they chose to participate in the shutdown. However, the scholar denies knowing of this possibility.
Despite retracting the suspension, the school district issued a statement regarding those who participated in the shutdown. The statement urged students to engage in “such activities” in line with the “district’s code of conduct.”
“Clayton County Public Schools remains committed to safeguarding the well-being of every student entrusted to our care. We acknowledge our students’ desire to express their concerns and will continue to ensure that such activities occur safely and respectfully, consistent with the school district’s code of conduct.”
However, how exactly the student violated this code remains unknown. One immigration attorney says the walking out itself constituted a violation, with the school potentially facing lawsuits if a student is injured after leaving the establishment to protest.
While she can still head back to class this week, the scholar still worries about the consequences she could face if she decides to participate in the next act of civil disobedience.
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