{"id":169718,"date":"2026-02-18T13:18:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T13:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/169718\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T13:18:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T13:18:10","slug":"as-texas-leaders-crack-down-on-school-ice-walkouts-debate-over-free-speech-flares-up","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/169718\/","title":{"rendered":"As Texas leaders crack down on school ICE walkouts, debate over free speech flares up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Any other Tuesday, Paola Ramirez would have been at lunch. But Feb. 10 wasn\u2019t any other Tuesday. <\/p>\n

The 16-year-old walked off<\/a> campus and into the streets, alongside hundreds of her peers from Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts. As skyscrapers towered over them, their cheers, chants and stomps wove through downtown Dallas. <\/p>\n

After a slew of ICE walkouts in Texas, state officials have threatened to clamp down on students, educators and districts. Legal experts and advocates worry about a worsening climate to practice a fundamental American ideal: the right to free speech.<\/p>\n

Over her shoulders, the straps of a small pink backpack. In her hair, red and white lacy ribbons threaded through two braids in an Indigenous Mexican hairstyle. And in her hands, a poster with a message. <\/p>\n

In capital letters, harsh strokes of black paint spelled out: \u201cPor qu\u00e9 callar si nac\u00ed gritando.\u201d <\/p>\n

The Education Lab<\/p>\n

Receive our in-depth coverage of education issues and stories that affect North Texans.<\/p>\n

By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n

Why be silent if I was born screaming? <\/p>\n

In the wake of the recent ICE crackdown in Minneapolis, students across Texas and the country are, like Ramirez, facing potential consequences for making their voices heard. In Texas, high-ranking state officials, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, have threatened sanctions against students and schools that facilitate their protests.<\/p>\n

Texas officials have threatened to strip funding from districts, decertify teachers and replace elected trustees with a state-appointed board of managers. In an already volatile political moment, this crackdown on student protests has \u2014 once again \u2014 escalated a debate over free speech in public schools. School administrators are squeezed between upholding the First Amendment rights of students and caving to pressures from Texas leaders who have warned of state takeovers. <\/p>\n

\u201cA lot of people say, \u2018Kids should be seen and not heard,\u2019\u201d Ramirez said. \u201cWe\u2019re using our First Amendment right, our constitutional right. We are part of \u2018We, the People,\u2019 too.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas officials have started to pounce on calls to impose consequences. Paxton is probing Dallas ISD for \u201cfacilitating and failing to keep students safe and accountable\u201d during the protests, he announced Monday. Dallas ISD<\/a>, North East ISD<\/a> in San Antonio and Manor ISD<\/a> near Austin must hand over documents regarding excused absence policies, security protocols and internal communications about the protests, he said. <\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Organizer\"McCallum<\/p>\n

McCallum High School students walk out of class in protest of ICE in Austin, Texas, Friday, Jan. 30, 2026. (Mikala Compton\/Austin American-Statesman via AP)<\/p>\n

Mikala Compton \/ AP<\/p>\n

Paxton\u2019s demands come on the heels of a similar investigation he opened into Austin ISD on Feb. 2. Tensions ratcheted up after students walked out of the classroom to the Texas Capitol in January, leading Abbott to urge officials to take action. <\/p>\n

\u201cAISD gets taxpayer dollars to teach the subjects required by the state,\u201d Abbott wrote Jan. 30<\/a>, \u201cnot to help students skip school to protest.\u201d <\/p>\n

On Feb. 3<\/a>, the Texas Education Agency<\/a> issued guidance on the walkouts<\/a>, warning districts that \u201cfacilitating\u201d protests could lead to funding loss, investigations and state takeovers. A group of Texas House Democrats<\/a> asked Education Commissioner Mike Morath on Feb. 9 to clarify what \u201cfacilitating\u201d the walkouts entails. They sought more information about what conditions would trigger a state takeover. <\/p>\n

The agency had not issued a response, a spokesperson said last week. TEA did not respond to multiple emails asking whether it will soon. <\/p>\n

School districts have issued their own emails to parents and students about repercussions. \u200b\u200bBefore Booker T. students left school grounds, Dallas ISD had advised families of TEA\u2019s guidance on walkouts without specifying what repercussions the district would impose, if any. <\/p>\n

\"High<\/p>\n

High School students including junior Paola Ramirez (second from left) and sophomore Jada Ferraro (third from left) protest over immigration policy at Klyde Warren Park during a walkout of Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts on Feb. 10, 2026, in Dallas.<\/p>\n

Chitose Suzuki \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"StudentsExperts, advocates worry about \u2018chilling\u2019 of rights<\/p>\n

Legal experts and First Amendment advocates have said the flurry of threats infringes on the right to free speech. For them, the ICE walkouts are the most recent flare-up in an intensifying debate over expression in schools, leading to comparisons with the pro-Palestine protests on college campuses<\/a> and investigations into teachers commenting on Charlie Kirk\u2019s assassination<\/a>. <\/p>\n

In the 1969 case Tinker vs. Des Moines, the Supreme Court ruled that districts could not punish students for political activity after students protesting the Vietnam War wore black armbands to school. <\/p>\n

Caro Achar, an engagement coordinator at the ACLU of Texas, said the recent guidance from state officials is an \u201cimmediate chilling of student speech.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIf free speech or expressive activity is only condoned when it is aligned with those in power, then it\u2019s no longer being treated like a right,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s being treated like a privilege.\u201d <\/p>\n

Students can practice free speech during school hours, as long as it does not create a \u201csubstantial disruption,\u201d said Watt Lesley Black Jr., a professor of education policy and law at Southern Methodist University. <\/p>\n

But what counts as \u201csubstantial disruption\u201d is up for dispute. <\/p>\n

\u201cIf three or four students get up and quietly walk out of class, it\u2019s a momentary distraction,\u201d he said. \u201cBut is it a substantial disruption? Is the teacher able to keep teaching 10 seconds later?\u201d <\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Education<\/p>\n

School officials need to separate the \u201cconduct from the speech,\u201d Black said. No matter the reason a student is skipping class \u2014 whether to attend a protest or grab lunch \u2014 the punishment, he said, needs to be the same. <\/p>\n

School districts caught in a crossfire<\/p>\n

Facing pressure from the state, school administrators are caught in a difficult position, Black said, making it easier to pursue rash decisions that do not respect students\u2019 First Amendment rights.<\/p>\n

The prospect of a state takeover because of ICE walkouts is unprecedented, Black said. During a takeover, TEA appoints a new board of managers and a new superintendent to govern the district. The state has intervened in districts for reasons such as fiscal mismanagement, cheating scandals and consistently failing academic performance at a campus. <\/p>\n

Fort Worth ISD<\/a> moved under state control in October, while Houston ISD, the state\u2019s biggest district, was taken over in 2023. For both, TEA cited poor academic performance at one or more campuses. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe fact that those takeovers have happened,\u201d Black said, \u201cmakes the threat of a district takeover like this seem more real to superintendents.\u201d <\/p>\n

In the past weeks, some schools have said students who walk out are subject to consequences outlined in their district code of conduct, which can include losing the chance to participate in prom and graduation ceremonies and removal from extracurricular activities. <\/p>\n

Forney ISD officials<\/a> said that their student handbook defines skipping class as an offense that could lead to exclusion from extracurricular activities, detention or in-school suspension. Garland ISD students who lead or organize \u201csignificant disruptions could face serious consequences,\u201d a spokesperson said in an email.<\/p>\n

\"High<\/p>\n

High School students walk out of Forney High School over immigration policy, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Forney, <\/p>\n

Chitose Suzuki \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

Related<\/p>\n

\"Mia<\/p>\n

The ACLU of Texas emphasized that students have First Amendment protections, including the right to hand out flyers and petitions, post on social media and wear expressive clothing, as long as the activity doesn\u2019t disrupt the functioning of the school. <\/p>\n

While safeguards exist, students should familiarize themselves with their district\u2019s policy regarding school absences and suspensions, Achar said. Protests that happen outside of school and outside school hours are more akin to an \u201ceveryday Texan\u201d engaging in a protest, she added. <\/p>\n

\u201cProtest activity during school time is a decision that every student has to make for themselves \u2014 what risk they\u2019re willing to take and weighing the cost and benefit of that,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Why students want to keep protesting<\/p>\n

Brody Jones, a senior at Boswell High School in Fort Worth, said several of his peers received in-school suspensions, similar to a day-long detention, for walking out. While he acknowledged that leaving school violated the code of conduct, he called the punishments \u201cunjustifiable.\u201d <\/p>\n

Eagle Mountain-Saginaw ISD declined to comment on specific incidents. In a letter sent to families, the district said if a student leaves campus, their absence will be counted as unexcused, and they could face unspecified \u201cadditional disciplinary consequences\u201d pursuant to its code of conduct. <\/p>\n

But the threat of an in-school suspension doesn\u2019t deter Brody from continuing to protest, he said. He\u2019s inspired to come out after seeing \u201cthe atrocities that ICE has committed in Minnesota,\u201d he said, and the fear of his loved ones, scared to leave their homes. <\/p>\n

\"Dallas<\/p>\n

Dallas Environmental Science Academy Middle School students chant as they approach Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge while marching in protest of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, in Dallas. <\/p>\n

Juan Figueroa \/ Staff Photographer<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we\u2019re old enough to go to war, if we\u2019re old enough to vote,\u201d he said, \u201cthen we should be old enough to be able to speak out about injustices.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Brody wasn\u2019t in class, the protest was a lesson in itself, said his mother Kimberly Savage. It\u2019s up to her son, not her, whether he wants to bear consequences for his protest, she added. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese kids are using their voices, they\u2019re using their social media platforms, and they\u2019re getting the word out,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n

As for Booker T. student Paola Ramirez, she stayed out past the end of lunch, stretching into what would have been math class. The crowd of students that had flooded into Klyde Warren Park was gradually dispersing; some returned to the classroom and others lingered around the greenery. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re all coming together, being here and doing our part for our people,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s beautiful.\u201d <\/p>\n

On this cloudy Tuesday, Ramirez wasn\u2019t thinking about the possibility of repercussions; that was a matter for later. Throughout the week, countless other protests would spring up at North Texas schools.<\/p>\n

But even as these protests continue, the legality of walkouts \u2014 and its implications for free speech \u2014 looms. It\u2019s a question, Watt Lesley Black Jr. said, that may be left up to the U.S. Supreme Court justices to answer. <\/p>\n

The DMN Education Lab deepens the coverage and conversation about urgent education issues critical to the future of North Texas.<\/p>\n

The DMN Education Lab is a community-funded journalism initiative, with support from Bobby and Lottye Lyle, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Dallas Foundation, Dallas Regional Chamber, Deedie Rose, Garrett and Cecilia Boone, Judy and Jim Gibbs, The Meadows Foundation, The Murrell Foundation, Ron and Phyllis Steinhart, Solutions Journalism Network, Southern Methodist University, Sydney Smith Hicks, and the University of Texas at Dallas. The Dallas Morning News retains full editorial control of the Education Lab\u2019s journalism.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Any other Tuesday, Paola Ramirez would have been at lunch. But Feb. 10 wasn\u2019t any other Tuesday. The…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169719,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[324,11521,4179,163,166,392,1724,287,1750,27,2810,29,28,292],"class_list":["post-169718","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-texas","tag-dallas-fortworth","tag-dallas-isd","tag-ed-lab-politics-policy","tag-education","tag-education-lab","tag-greg-abbott","tag-immigration","tag-politics","tag-protest","tag-texas","tag-texas-education-agency","tag-texas-headlines","tag-texas-news","tag-texas-politics"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169718","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169718"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169718\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169719"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169718"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169718"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169718"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}