Southern Idaho Students Plan Walk On ICE to Protest Recent National Events

The Twin Falls School District sent out a message on Wednesday evening alerting parents that some students plan to participate in a school walkout on Thursday. The TFSD message was sent by email and text.

Similar walkouts have happened in nearby states and school districts.

Will the Southern Idaho Student School Walkout Be in Support or Protest of ICE

In our research, all the student walkouts in the last few days have been in protest of ICE and recent national events, but that doesn’t mean students couldn’t also do a walkout in support of the immigration efforts. Whether that happens would be up to each student. The walkout should begin at 9:20 at the high schools, and students will head to Blue Lakes.

The message from the school district informs parents that it is the constitutional right of students to peacefully protest, that their 1st Amendment rights are not taken away when they walk into the schools. The school district did clarify that the constitutional right doesn’t mean that there are no consequences.

Students who choose to skip classes will be marked absent, and if the absence is not verified by a parent, it will become a truancy, which could require disciplinary action.

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Parents are encouraged to talk with their school children to see if they plan on participating. Parents should find out if and why their child plans to participate, if they understand what is happening, and use the opportunity to discuss recent events openly.

School staff members will not participate in the walkout, but there will be some administrators observing as supervision to help make sure the demonstration doesn’t affect or disrupt the regular educational environment.

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The full message from the Twin Falls School District isn't found on their website or social media pages, but can be read below:

Good afternoon TFSD Families, As you may be aware, some students have indicated they plan to participate in a walkout tomorrow to protest recent national events. Over the years, school districts across the nation have seen similar protests, and the Supreme Court has ruled that students do not forfeit their First Amendment rights at the school doors. As a result, we are not allowed to stop students who choose to participate. School staff members will not participate, but administrators will observe from a distance to ensure the walkout does not disrupt the educational environment or become unsafe (i.e., a fight). Students who walk out of class will be marked absent, similar to if they were missing class for any reason. If parents don’t verify that absence within 24 hours, the absence will become a truancy. Students who are marked truant may be subject to disciplinary action. The district’s mission is to educate students, and as such, staff members will remain on the job to serve the students who remain in class.