BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – Some Central Florida students continue protesting officers who work for the country’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE protests have been common nationwide.
Two weeks ago, some students risked suspension and walked out of class in Brevard County.
Monday, some more high schoolers demonstrated on a day off from school.
[BELOW: Florida school districts warn of consequences for ICE protest walkouts]
Melbourne High School senior Jack Apotsos talked to your Viera Community Correspondent James Sparvero with a group of students outside the Brevard County school board offices.
“We’re here protesting ICE,” the 18-year-old said. “We’re also here kind of protesting the school board after their unprofessional actions of the walkouts.”
Apotsos told Sparvero he understood disciplinary actions would be taken if students walked out of school, but he didn’t like the district’s messaging.
“The way they went about threatening students and threatening teachers was extremely unprofessional,” he said. “So, we just want our voices heard. We wanna show the school board what they’ve been doing is not OK, and we’re not gonna accept it.”
Monday was Presidents’ Day, and school board members like board chair Matt Susin have called for students to protest on their own time as opposed to being in class.
“Class time is important, but it’s also important to be aware of current events,” Apotsos responded. “On our day off we could be doing anything, but we’re out here because the situation is just bad. It is definitely a crisis right now, constitutional crisis, crisis with our school board and everything so we’re out here trying to fight it.”
Apotsos said next the students will take their protest to the school board meeting coming up on Feb. 24.
With Brevard Public Schools closed Monday, Sparvero didn’t get an answer when he asked how many students got detention or suspension after the walkout two weeks ago.
When schools reopen, News 6 will add that information to ClickOrlando.com when the district tells us.