Cobb County Schools Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said last month’s student walkouts were organized by well-funded adults, not students.
What’s happening: Ragsdale spoke Thursday night at a school board meeting. He said the Jan. 30 walkouts were “actions coordinated by well-funded adults with a specific intent to disrupt public schools.” He named Liberation Atlanta and the Party for Socialism as groups that targeted Cobb schools.
“Political activists across the country want schools to use their access and authority to advance their political goals. And once again, in Cobb, we say no,” Ragsdale said. “Cobb schools are about education, not indoctrination for anyone’s political agenda.”
Students who participated now face disciplinary measures including out-of-school suspension.
What’s important: About 600 high school students across the district walked out Jan. 30 to protest ICE actions. Georgia high school students walkout to protest ICE
The Georgia Emergency Management Agency told the district Jan. 27 that adult organizations were planning protests involving students. That was three days before the walkouts.
Several Cobb County Legislative Delegation members sent a letter condemning the school board’s threat of punishment. State Reps. Terry Cummings and Gabriel Sanchez spoke during Thursday’s public comment supporting students.
Ragsdale criticized the lawmakers. “They alleged this was nothing more than students exercising their rights under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution,” he said. “This is beyond irresponsible. It is disingenuous, disruptive and dangerous.”
He said the politicians lied to students about First Amendment protections. “Everyone encouraging these protests and trying to push these First Amendment arguments knows student disruptions do not fall within the First Amendment, they just lied about not knowing it,” he said.
Sanchez said the district’s approach caused more problems. “Your actions to try and stop the protest provided the opposite of a safe environment, making students more unsafe, causing confusion and inevitable conflict between students and faculty,” he said.
In some instances students got into cars and drove around campus. Ragsdale claimed students intentionally damaged school property in some cases.
By the numbers: Ragsdale said the walkouts cost the district $150,000 to $200,000.
