CLOVIS, Calif. (FOX26) — Students from multiple schools in Clovis walked out of class on Tuesday to protest ICE deportations.
The Clovis Police Department and Clovis Unified School District said they were aware of the planned activity and coordinated in advance to ensure the safety of students and the community.
Police monitored the walkout through the department’s Real-Time Information Center, which uses a network of around 500 cameras, and recorded the event using a Camera-On-Wheels vehicle.
Uniformed officers on patrol were also present as students traveled and protested through city streets.
FILE – About 100 Clovis High students walk out, rally at Shaw and Clovis to protest ICE (Photo: FOX26 Photojournalist Byron Solorio)
During the protest, police said they observed multiple adults actively encouraging, organizing, and facilitating students leaving school without authorization.
Police said they have identified two of the adults and are working to identify others, with plans to file misdemeanor charges for contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
Police said adults who contribute to or promote truancy place minors at risk and interfere with their education.
The district cited the California Education Code that permits a middle or high school student to be excused from school for one day per school year for civic engagement.
The code requires that proper advance notice be provided and that the school’s normal checkout procedures be followed by parents or guardians.
In the case of Tuesday’s walkout, officials say only a few students followed the required process.
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CUSD said it is identifying students who left campus without authorization and will take appropriate action to enforce truancy.