Student Protests at Stephen Decatur, James M. Bennett over ICE

WORCESTER & WICOMICO COUNTIES, Md. – Students from Stephen Decatur High School and James M. Bennett High School in Salisbury hosted school walk outs Friday afternoon to protest the ongoing federal immigration crackdown.

Stephen Decatur High School parent Laurie Predmore says school administration allegedly threatened to cancel the school play, ban protestors from attending prom and playing sports, cancel after school activities, and make students attend Saturday classes if they participated.

“They gave these kids the power, they gave these kids the confidence, they told these kids they were important and they can change the world. Now, sit back and let them. So, it’s a mixed message, it’s ‘hey, go out and change the world, make the world a better place, use your voice, until we disagree with it,'” Predmore said.

In a statement obtained by WMDT, Worcester County Public Schools said they “do not condone walkouts of any kind as it poses a disruption to the school day.” They added that the students were under adult supervision by school leadership at all times, and that there were no changes to the safety status of the school.

“I think what matters is, America was built on non-violent protests; these are a bunch of teenagers holding signs,” Predmore said.

At James M. Bennett High School, students held a larger walk out, reportedly with children from Parkside High School. Students were visible from West College Avenue around 2:00 p.m., waving flags and signs in protest on the sidewalk in front of the school. While most students remained on the sidewalk, some entered the roadway and median. Police were reportedly present at the school but were stationed at a neighboring apartment complex.

WMDT will continue to report on this story as updates are made available.