Students at Lennard High School exercised their voices during a nationwide day of action, and now their principal is being publicly targeted for trying to keep them safe.

On January 30, students at Lennard High School in Hillsborough County participated in a walkout protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The protest was student-organized. In response, two state lawmakers singled out Principal Denise Savino on social media and called for an investigation into her actions, even urging the permanent revocation of her educator certificate—before any formal findings were made.

This response is deeply troubling.

When students leave class, the responsibility of school leaders is clear: keep students safe. According to Hillsborough school board members, the principal’s actions were aimed at doing exactly that—moving students to a safer, more supervised location.

Publicly attacking a principal for prioritizing student safety sets a dangerous precedent. It discourages school leaders from using their judgment in fast-moving situations and sends a chilling message to educators across Florida: that protecting students could cost them their careers.

Students do not lose their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate. Hillsborough County School District itself has acknowledged that students retain the right to free expression, even as schools balance instructional time and campus safety. Those values are not in conflict. Schools can uphold rules while still respecting students’ voices and ensuring protests are handled safely and responsibly.

This petition calls on the Hillsborough County School Board, the Superintendent of Hillsborough County Public Schools, and the Florida Department of Education, including Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas, to reject calls for punitive action against Principal Savino and to affirm students' rights to peaceful protest and civic engagement.

We also urge district and state leaders to stop politicizing student expression and to create clear, fair guidance that protects both learning and constitutional rights—regardless of the cause being protested.

Principals should not be demonized for doing their jobs. Students should not be punished for engaging with the world around them. Our schools should model democracy, not fear it.