ICE Walkouts Planned By Abington, Cheltenham Students

ABINGTON / CHELTENHAM TWPS. — Students in the Abington and Cheltenham school districts are planning a walkout on Wednesday to protest ICE activity in Minnesota and elsewhere in the country.

Cheltenham Schools Superintendent Brian W. Scriven informed the school community in an email that the student-organized schoolwide walkout will take place from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

The superintendent said the demonstration is not school-sanctioned and that the walkout is being led by “several student Cheltenham High School groups” and “is intended to protest the tactics and presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”

Students in the North Penn School District held a walkout on Tuesday, while students in the Pennsbury School District in Bucks County are planning a walkout on Friday.

Students in the Abington School District are planning the walkout from 7:45 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. on Wednesday at Abington Senior High School.

Meanwhile, Ardsley resident Joseph Rooney — who ran for the Abington School Board in the November general election — questioned the school district administration about the protest.

"This is a violation of Board and Superintendent Policy," Rooney recently wrote in an email to Abington Schools Superintendent Jeffrey S. Fecher that he sent to Patch. "We are not paying taxes to indoctrinate our kids and teach them to hate our country. Not one person in ASD knows all the facts of these tragic incidents. It is the 250th anniversary of the founding of our great country. How about focusing on our storied history?"

"Students at Abington Senior High School approached school administration about interests in planning a walkout as a form of protest among the student body. Abington School District administration has not organized, endorsed, or given approval of this student demonstration, though we recognize the importance of the right to free speech and respect our students' willingness to voice and express their beliefs, regardless of political position," the superintendent said in a statement to Patch.

"As school administrators, we do have an obligation to uphold our policies and procedures, which includes maintaining a safe school environment without disruption to teaching and learning. As a result, students were made aware of the consequences should they choose to participate in such a demonstration," Fecher said. "As this a student-led endeavor, Abington Senior High School administration is working with local and school police to ensure the safety of all students and staff."