High school students in Lake County are being threatened with suspension not for violence, not for cheating, but for speaking out about issues that affect their lives, their families, and their futures.

At Leesburg High School, nearly 50 students walked out during the school day to protest increased ICE enforcement and recent killings in Minneapolis. These students were engaging with real-world events the same way we often encourage young people to do: by paying attention, asking questions, and raising their voices. Now, many of them are facing suspensions of up to ten days.

Lake County Schools has stated that students retain First Amendment rights and that civic engagement can be an important part of learning. We agree. But punishing students with harsh discipline for a peaceful protest sends a very different message—that speaking up comes with consequences, and that silence is safer than participation.

We understand that schools have a responsibility to keep students safe and maintain order during the school day. But suspending dozens of students for a political walkout does not promote safety or learning. It removes students from the classroom, escalates tension, and discourages healthy civic engagement at a time when young people are already struggling to feel heard.

There are ways to address concerns about supervision and instruction without resorting to exclusionary discipline. Other Florida schools have allowed on-campus demonstrations or protests during lunch without punishment. That kind of approach teaches responsibility, dialogue, and respect—values schools say they want to instill.

We are calling on the Lake County School Board, the Superintendent of Lake County Schools, and Leesburg High School administrators to immediately reverse or refrain from suspending students for this walkout and to commit to policies that allow students to demonstrate peacefully without fear of punishment.

Schools should be places where young people learn not just math and reading, but how to participate thoughtfully in a democracy. Let’s show students that civic engagement is something to be guided—not punished.