Superintendent says district will protect students and follow law after parent asks about ICE access

A parent urged the Harrison Central School District Board of Education on Feb. 12 to clarify how the district will protect immigrant and LGBTQ students from federal immigration enforcement, and the superintendent said the district will use all available tools while adhering to the law.

Theresa Norton Fisher, who said she has children at Purchase Elementary, told the board she had not seen communication from the district after recent administrative actions at the federal level and cited guidance she had from the governor’s office and the state attorney general. “There is guidance from the New York state, from Kathy Hochul’s office as well as the, state attorney general Leticia James,” Fisher said, asking whether the board “believe[s] that every student has a right to an education regardless of their immigration status?”

Superintendent Dr. Woll answered during the board’s updates, saying the district acts in loco parentis and must follow the law. “Every tool that I have available to me to protect children is utilized, was always utilized, will continue to be utilized,” he said. “But the one thing we will never do is choose which laws we enforce. I swear an oath to the Constitution of this state and to the Constitution of The United States.” He added that district administrators had spent hours with attorneys preparing to respond and that guidance from multiple parties was often contradictory.

Woll framed the district’s approach as principled and operational rather than rhetorical. “The promise I can make you is everything that I can do to keep every child safe will be done,” he said. He also noted that the district’s long-standing equity commitments—such as paying for IB and AP exams for students—reflect institutional practice, not a recent policy pronouncement.

The board did not take any formal action or vote on policy language that night; the exchange occurred during public comment and the superintendent’s update. Board members indicated the superintendent would respond during his update rather than drafting an immediate new resolution.

Why this matters: Parents and students in immigrant and LGBTQ communities have sought explicit local guidance after recent federal activity; the superintendent’s remarks emphasize legal limits and the district’s intent to protect students within those limits. The parent caller had a copy of guidance she said dated January 2025 and asked the board to be explicit; the superintendent gave a public assurance of attention but did not announce new district directives or a written advisory during the meeting.

The meeting record does not show the board adopting new written policy or a formal motion on the subject at that session.