As students across metro Denver planned to walk out of class Friday to protest the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement tactics, at least one district — Mapleton Public Schools — told pupils they were “not permitted” to participate in demonstrations.
Officials with Mapleton Public Schools, serving more than 7,000 students in Brighton and parts of Adams County, sent a letter to families Thursday, ahead of Friday’s planned ICE Out walkouts and protests, saying that students “are not permitted to leave campus or to participate in demonstrations during the school day.”
“We understand that current events can raise strong emotions, and we recognize that students may want to express their views,” Mapleton Superintendent of Schools Mike Crawford wrote. “We respect students’ desires to have their voices heard regarding matters which are important to them. In fact, we strive to ensure all schools create safe spaces for student views to be expressed.”
But, Crawford said, “We encourage families to talk with their students about safe and appropriate ways to express their views and get involved with the community in ways that support, rather than disrupt, their learning.”
Mapleton spokeswoman Melissa Johnson said high school students were planning walkouts Friday in protest of the federal government’s immigration enforcement activities.
“We are aware and just keeping an eye on that to see what happens,” she said in an interview. “We’re just prepared for what could happen.”
She said students who participate in the protests will be marked absent from class, but would not be disciplined, such as with suspensions or expulsions.
“It’s not necessarily about the protesting,” Johnson said. “It’s about them being in the classroom when they need to be. It’s really about being in class. If they go outside and they’re on campus and participate in a protest, they are not in class.”
But attorney David Lane said schools aren’t allowed to prevent students from protesting as it violates their First Amendment rights.
“Telling students they are not permitted to do this could be interpreted as a violation of the First Amendment,” he said.
Colorado students are protesting as part of the nationwide ICE Out movement. Teachers and other school staff have also called out of work as part of a general strike, forcing districts such as Denver Public Schools, Aurora Public Schools and the Boulder Valley School District to either cancel classes or delay school hours.
DPS, the state’s largest district, expected students to walk out of several high schools Friday, including East High and Northfield High, and protest at the Colorado State Capitol.
About 75 students protested at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College on Friday morning, DPS spokesman Scott Pribble said.
“We always acknowledge their right to free speech as long as it’s done in a peaceful and respectful way,” he said.
Between 150 and 200 students walked out of Brighton High School on Friday morning. Of those students, about 90 marched to city hall, said Janelle Asmus, spokeswoman for 27J Schools.
The students, who were accompanied by the high school’s staff, marched back to campus after the protest and went back to class, she said, adding that pupils who participated in the protest were marked absent for the classes they missed.
“We’re really proud how all these groups came together to have really good results,” Asmus said. “They’re back in class doing what they need to do to be good students.”
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