A Long Island high school recorded a case of ICE threats when a teacher allegedly threatened a classroom with many Hispanic students. At Roosevelt High School, an after-school suspension class was being supervised by a substitute teacher who lost his cool with the students. Most of the students were Hispanic, and it seems to be essentially the reason why the teacher targeted them with the threats in the first place.
According to preliminary reports, the students in the class were pulling a longstanding prank by signing in under fake names. While the class was initially unattended, the substitute teacher heard the laughter and deduced the scenario. A witness told NBC 12 that the teacher snapped instantly and stormed out of the classroom. He brought back the vice principal with him.
It was at this moment that the teacher lost his cool. He claimed to have permission to call ICE on the students, saying the prank could be considered a violation. Shortly after his statement, the teacher allegedly tried to reframe his remarks.
One of the students and a witness, Daniel Battle, recalled the moment, saying, “I was like, ‘That’s not OK. Like, why would you say that?’ Especially in a classroom with a lot of Hispanic kids. That’s not something you should say. And then he’s like, ‘Oh no, that’s not how I meant it. But it is true, though.”
The student further revealed that he was so disgusted with the teacher’s statement that he immediately rushed out of the classroom. Daniel marched into the principal’s office directly and reported the teacher’s infuriating threats. Talking about taking action, he said, “I did the right thing to stand up for, not just myself and my peers.”
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Meanwhile, Daniel’s mother supported her son’s decision, adding that she, too, had encountered ICE before. She condemned the teacher’s behavior, highlighting how going to school has become an unsafe endeavor for kids like hers.
Concerned parent Raquel Medrano said, “It’s just making the fear that they already have inside of them grow. Instead of helping make them feel safe and giving them a safe haven, it’s like, ‘Should I go to school today? What if I don’t come home? My parents are citizens. I was born here. But we look like whatever they’re looking for, I guess.”
In the wake of the shocking turn of events, the school’s superintendent has confirmed the removal of the accused teacher. Dr. Shawn Wightman, in a letter to the family of the students, wrote, “The substitute staff member has been removed from the after-school assignment pending the outcome of the review.”
The school has also added that each and every official of the institute “recognize that references to immigration enforcement can be deeply distressing for some students and families.” Additionally, the school authorities are also willing to provide counseling to any student impacted by the threats made by the teacher. The school district continues to investigate the allegations in the meantime.
