Hundreds of Olathe high school students walked out of class Thursday and gathered at the Johnson County Courthouse to protest the federal government’s immigration enforcement efforts.
The students lined Santa Fe Street holding signs and chanting “No more ICE” and “No justice, no peace. We want ICE off our streets.”
At Thursday night’s Olathe Public School Board of Education meeting, several board members expressed their support of the walkout.
Board members Claire Reagan and Will Babbit said they attended the demonstration.
“I was just really blown away by the amount of kids there, the excitement they had for helping each other, for supporting each other, for supporting the community,” Babbit said. “And it was great to see students of all walks of life find their voice, peacefully support each other.”
Babbit said one chant stuck with him.
“It was a simple message that spoke about the way I feel about our community here in Olathe,” he said. “No hate. No fear. Immigrants are welcome here.”
Claire Reagan called the demonstration “powerful.”
“It was a wide spectrum of kids who showed up. They weren’t one color. They weren’t all speaking the same language,” she said.
Board member Julie Steele said she was proud to see teens “strengthening community.”
“In today’s world, in these present times, your voice matters,” she said.
Board member Brad Boyd criticized an email the district sent to the families of Olathe high school students the day before the walkouts that, in his view, could have had a “chilling effect” on student voices.
“If a student chooses to leave school grounds, we cannot guarantee supervision. In addition, we feel it is important for our parents and guardians to be aware that our standard attendance protocols are followed in the event of a student walkout or protest,” the email says.
The email went on to say parents will be alerted if a student is not in attendance and students will be responsible for missed assignments and tests.
Boyd said the email emphasized consequences and risks too much.
“For some students and families, that emphasis may feel discouraging rather than informative and may unintentionally create a chilling effect on student voice,” he said.
Boyd said he wished the communications were more affirming to the importance of student civic engagement.
In a statement to the Post on Friday morning, an Olathe Public Schools spokesperson Erin Schulte said:
“In Olathe Public Schools, we value our students’ perspectives and encourage our students to use their voice.”
Students and other community members across Johnson County have been demonstrating over the past several weeks in the wake of the federal government’s immigration enforcement crackdown.
High schoolers at Shawnee Mission North are planning a similar demonstration on Feb. 11. About 40 high schoolers in the Gardner Edgerton School District also protested after school let out early one day in mid-January, carrying messages of support for immigrants and protesting aggressive immigration enforcement tactics.
