More than 100 Oklahoma students participated in a walkout protest against immigration enforcement operations last week, prompting their suspensions.
“No student was disciplined for the content of their speech or viewpoint,” Mustang Public Schools officials said of the suspensions. “Consequences were applied for leaving class and missing instruction during the school day.”
Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt (R) supported the students’ suspensions. “I applaud Mustang Superintendent Dr. Charles Bradley for suspending 122 students who walked out of class to protest,” he wrote on X. “Young Oklahomans: Free speech is sacred, but truancy robs your future. Stay in school, build skills, and make your voice heard responsibly.”
State lawmakers called for investigations into educators who may have been involved in the protests. In a letter to State Superintendent Lindel Fields, the lawmakers said the actions “disrupt the educational environment, undermine respect for the rule of law, and compromise student safety by removing minors from supervision without parental consent.”
Mustang Public Schools said officials “reviewed all allegations and found no evidence that any Mustang Public Schools employee instigated, organized, or facilitated this student activity,” The Hill reports. “Individuals identified in online posts as district employees were either not affiliated with Mustang Public Schools or were inaccurately represented.”
Similarly, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched investigations into three school districts for assisting in protests against federal immigration enforcement operations. The school districts, North East Independent School District, Dallas Independent School District, and Manor Independent School District, failed to ensure the safety of students and prevent mass interruptions of classroom instructions, Paxton’s office explained. The school districts are to produce information surrounding policies such as leaving campus, class absences, security procedures, and communication pertaining to the protests.
