Lexington high school students may face discipline if they join ICE walkout

At least two Lexington high school principals told families in separate letters Wednesday that students would be counted absent and could be subject to discipline if they walk out of class to protest ICE.

The warnings came after several days of rumors of planned walkouts in Fayette County, including a letter circulated by a group called Kentucky Youth For Change, which urged all Fayette County high school students to walk out of class at 1:40 p.m. Friday.

“Students from all across the district are organizing walkouts to protests against the Trump Administration blatant disregard for the constitution and the vile actions recently committed by Immigration Customs and Enforcement department of the DHS,” the group wrote. “This is district-wide, and we would like as many schools as possible to participate.”

The potential protests would be the latest nationwide in opposition to ICE crackdowns. Agents have been met by protesters in many U.S. cities, and they shot and killed two people in separate, high-profile incidents in Minneapolis in recent weeks.

Principals at Lafayette and Paul Laurence Dunbar high schools acknowledged the potential protests in letters to parents.

At Lafayette, principal Anthony Orr told parents he was aware of “community discussions regarding a potential student walkout protesting recent ICE activities soon after our return to school,” apparently referring to the several-day cancellation of in-person classes due to winter weather.

“At Lafayette High School we value our student’s voices and their right to free expression,” Orr wrote. “Our primary goal is to support their engagement with important issues while ensuring a safe focused environment for all. While we respect the desire to be heard, LHS does not sponsor walkouts.”

Students who leave class without authorization will receive an unexcused tardy or absence, Orr said.

“A first time skipping class results in reteaching expectations and a notification sent home,” Orr wrote. “For the safety of our students, those who leave school grounds cannot re-enter the building or use school bus transportation at the end of the school day. Leaving campus will result in a referral and a school consequence following the student code of conduct.”

At Dunbar, principal Scott Loscheider wrote in a letter to parents that students may be “planning to exit the building to protest recent activities involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.”

Loscheider, like Orr, noted that the high school does not sponsor walkouts, and he outlined similar potential punishments for students who walk out of class.

District leaders did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

This story was originally published February 4, 2026 at 6:28 PM.