A Word from Legal
STAY NEUTRAL WHEN STUDENTS DEMONSTRATE
Across Maryland, students are staging walkout demonstrations to protest the Trump Administration. While students have some rights to protest, educators are required to remain neutral and should avoid involvement in the planning or encouragement of walkouts.
Educators do not have the same First Amendment protections when it comes to protests during the school day. Avoid planning, promoting, leading, or encouraging a walkout. Educator endorsement or participation in walkouts could expose you to discipline. Similarly, you should not try to physically stop students from leaving your classroom. As is the case with any political speech in school, you should keep your role neutral and not use your position to advocate for a side.
In some districts, like Montgomery County, students are required in their code of conduct to coordinate with their administration relative to the time, place, and supervision of any demonstration. This has resulted in walkouts that are kept on campus (for example, fields or parking areas), occur during lunch, and are supervised by administration. As an educator, you can direct students asking about walkouts to have those conversations with your school administration.