Abington board praises student protest rights; public speakers voice sharp disagreement over timing and taxes
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Summary
Board members told students they support peaceful protest while reminding them of attendance rules; public commenters offered both strong support for student civic action and sharp criticism that walkouts are unsafe or inappropriate during school time. The board and superintendent said policies and attendance consequences will be applied consistently.
The Abington Board of School Directors opened its Feb. 10 meeting with a prepared statement acknowledging a planned high-school student walkout over immigration-enforcement practices and affirming students' First Amendment rights. The statement also reminded students that school attendance and recordkeeping are legal obligations and that administrators had informed students about possible consequences if they participated.
Multiple board members then spoke in support of the students. Board member Mister Mohammed framed the walkout in the context of Black History Month and commended students for civic engagement; others including Miss Eisenhart, Miss Faulding and Miss Lee expressed pride in students for exercising their voices responsibly.
Public comment reflected a divided community. Joe Rooney of Ardsley criticized the board and administration, calling the planned walkout "protest theater" and arguing such demonstrations should not occur during school hours; he also raised concerns about tax increases in the budget presentation. Several callers and speakers, including Carol Godfrey and Meredith Barr, praised the district for working with students to ensure a safe protest and said children should be allowed to express First Amendment rights. Other commenters raised academic-performance and curriculum questions during the public-comment segment.
Superintendent (district staff) Doctor Fetcher responded to criticism by emphasizing that the walkout is student-led and non-district approved, and that the administration's role is to apply board policy consistently and to provide a safe, organized environment for students who choose to exercise those rights. Fetcher said the district will enforce attendance policies and consequences uniformly regardless of students' viewpoints.
The board stressed that honoring students' agency does not equate to suspending policy: several members commended administrators for consistently applying attendance law and for communicating likely consequences to students ahead of time. The meeting concluded with additional closing comments supporting civic engagement and the celebration of Black History Month; the board then adjourned.
Source: Opening statement, board remarks and public-comment segments from the Feb. 10, 2026 Abington Board of School Directors meeting.