Lee County students face disciplinary actions following ICE protests

LEE COUNTY, Fla. — The School District of Lee County disciplined nearly 2,500 students for disruptions during ICE protests in early February.

RELATED: Lee County schools take action against 2,480 students after ICE protests

Students nationwide protested ICE following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti. In Lee County, students staged walkouts at 15 different schools.

The district reported 2,480 students engaged in disruptive behaviors during the protests.

Specifically, 2,037 students were disciplined for skipping class or being late, 393 for safety violations, and 50 for insubordination or disrespect.

"They did a very thorough review looking at what happened, what they witnessed, what staff members witnessed," said Rob Spicker, Director of Communications, Marketing and Public Relations for the school district. "They went through the cameras to look for other student behaviors, identifying those that were involved in things that violated the code of conduct, and then holding those students accountable."

Disciplinary measures included 11 students recommended for reassignment to Success Academy, an alternative school in Fort Myers. Additionally, 134 students received out-of-school suspensions, while 40 were given in-school suspensions.

The district held 43 student conferences and 7 parent meetings. Furthermore, 208 students underwent other Level III interventions, and the remaining 2,037 students received warnings or zeroes on assignments.

"Students have the right to free expression; they do, and we respect that," said Spicker. "But the other part of that sentence is they cannot disrupt the classroom environment, and that's what these disciplinary actions are for."

The district investigated whether any teachers or staff were involved in organizing the protests.

"We don't have any evidence of teachers that have organized the protests, which has been an allegation out there," said Spicker. "We do have ongoing reviews, but we don't have any evidence of any teachers organizing student protests."

Despite the large number of students facing consequences, Superintendent Denise Carlin, Ed.D., stated that 96% of students adhered to the Student Code of Conduct during the protests.

“The safety and security of our schools is our top priority,” said Carlin.

The district thanked families for supporting the school's priorities and reinforcing behavioral expectations.

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