KELSO — The Kelso School District said Thursday morning that it did not organize or authorize a student walkout reportedly planned at Kelso High School and Coweeman Middle School, refuting social media claims that district staff were involved in the effort.
In a statement, district officials addressed online assertions that educators had coordinated the walkout as a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), calling those claims false and emphasizing that the event is not district-sanctioned. The district said any demonstration would be treated as an independent student action subject to standard attendance and campus policies.
Students who leave school grounds without permission will receive unexcused absences and will not be allowed to return to campus for the remainder of the day, consistent with Kelso’s closed campus rule. Administrators added that while students retain constitutional free expression rights, those rights must be exercised in ways that do not disrupt school operations or infringe on others’ rights.
Kelso Police confirmed awareness of the possible protest and said officers will monitor public safety conditions. City officials noted that anyone obstructing traffic, engaging in vandalism, or committing other offenses during demonstrations could face citation or arrest.
The clarification arrives amid heightened regional attention to immigration enforcement. In December, local activist group Cascade Forward organized an “ICE OUT” protest across Longview and Kelso, drawing several hundred participants urging an end to cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies. That demonstration followed months of similar protests elsewhere in the Pacific Northwest responding to expanded federal enforcement actions near schools and public spaces.
While Thursday’s Kelso walkout appears to align with that broader advocacy pattern, district leadership’s statement underscores a consistent boundary: student speech rights are recognized, but participation outside authorized channels remains a private choice subject to classroom accountability.
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