Internal documents from Arizona's Flagstaff Unified School District (FUSD) suggest staff facilitated a student walkout to protest U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), allegedly violating school policies and security protocols, according to America First Legal. The protest, which involved hundreds of students from Flagstaff high and middle schools on January 28, occurred amid national controversy surrounding the deaths of anti-ICE activists.
Documents obtained by America First Legal through a lawsuit indicate FUSD officials were aware of the protest days in advance and communicated with students about its planning. Screenshots from a district staff text group reportedly show faculty coordinating during the event. One message stated, "We have 75 plus students staged outside of fhs [Flagstaff High School] getting ready to walk." The same message noted, "Looks like we have some members of the public joining." Another text from a staff member warned to "Be aware of propped open doors that are left for reentry."
Parents expressed outrage over not being notified that their children had left school grounds without consent, with some citing safety concerns. According to district policy, students aged six to 16 are required to attend school during operational hours, and schools are expected to make reasonable efforts to promptly notify parents or guardians of a student's absence.
An email exchange between a student and then-Flagstaff High School Principal Tadd Ragan revealed district staff knew about the protest at least two days prior. The student informed Ragan of plans to walk out at 11:45 a.m. to protest ICE, seeking advice on organization. Ragan responded that the district and school had a plan to "maintain a peaceful protest" and subsequently asked the student to meet with him.
Another educator, identified as instructional coach Janet Chavez-Vesely, emailed school administrators the day before the protest, indicating she had discussed the planned walkout with the student Hispanic Culture Club. Chavez-Vesely stated she "stayed neutral and answered questions while they planned" and offered support for supervision.
Some parents who were aware of the impending protest emailed the district to inform staff their children would be absent, citing concerns about potential violence and unwanted involvement. One parent wrote, "I am keeping my daughter home from school this Wednesday as it has been brought to my attention that both Flagstaff high school and Coconino high school have planned out an entire protest."
On the morning of the protest, Sinagua Middle School Principal Christopher Koenker emailed that FUSD "supports our students’ constitutional rights to peaceful assembly and free expression and is aware of student-led events planned." He stated that schools would neither encourage nor discourage participation and that additional staff and law enforcement presence would be provided for protection and supervision, not to suppress expression.
Following the walkout, an internal memo titled "Walk Out Debrief" stated that "school isn’t responsible for students’ safety after they leave campus." Another memo detailed how a teacher, Ms. Donovan, took her class outside to observe the walkout. An administrator noted that Donovan later discussed ICE operations in class, telling students that officers had allegedly "used" a five-year-old child to lure a family out. The administrator also noted Donovan asked students who participated in the protest to raise their hands and then "congratulated them."
America First Legal Senior Counsel James Rogers commented that the documents show a "stunning betrayal of that trust" and that FUSD's conduct raises serious questions about whether district employees crossed a line. Rogers stated, "Parents deserved to know where their children were. The law required these officials to act, and they failed on both counts."
A spokesperson for FUSD stated to Fox News Digital, "We respectfully disagree that the Flagstaff Unified School District encouraged students to attend or intentionally ignored District policies." The spokesperson added, "The District was placed in the challenging position of balancing students’ First Amendment rights, student safety and school operations in the most appropriate way it could."