{"id":2563054,"date":"2026-02-03T01:56:55","date_gmt":"2026-02-03T06:56:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-illegal-for-leftist-agitators-to-encourage-high-school-walkouts-65\/"},"modified":"2026-02-03T01:59:41","modified_gmt":"2026-02-03T06:59:41","slug":"its-illegal-for-leftist-agitators-to-encourage-high-school-walkouts-65","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-illegal-for-leftist-agitators-to-encourage-high-school-walkouts-65\/","title":{"rendered":"It&#8217;s Illegal For Leftist Agitators To Encourage High School Walkouts"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fits-illegal-for-leftist-agitators-to-encourage-high-school-walkouts-65%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2563054&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece argues that <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >student walkouts protesting political issues\u2014<\/a>such as immigration enforcement and the Israel-Hamas conflict\u2014have become a regular feature in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-illegal-for-leftist-agitators-to-encourage-high-school-walkouts\/\" title=\"It&#039;s Illegal For Leftist Agitators To Encourage High ... ...\">left-leaning communities<\/a> across the United States, with examples from Shorewood, Wisconsin, and cities like Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Oregon, Long Island, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle, and Boston. It contends that these protests are rarely spontaneous and are often organized or facilitated by adults, who may undermine laws by encouraging students to miss school. Using Shorewood as a case study, the article notes that truancy is prohibited in Wisconsin and that adults who \u201ccontribute to truancy\u201d could be violating the law, especially when two state representatives joined the walkout, led chants, and praised the action. The Shorewood School District stated it did not sponsor the walkout, but offered that parents could excuse their children\u2019s absence, even though district policy does not <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/its-illegal-for-leftist-agitators-to-encourage-high-school-walkouts-25\/\" title=\"It&#039;s Illegal For Leftist Agitators To Encourage High ... ...\">list political demonstrations<\/a> as an excused reason. The piece contrasts the view that protests reflect vital youth activism with the view that adults should prioritize education and enforce attendance laws, warning against using children as political tools. It concludes with a call for adults to challenge such violations and keep students focused on learning, attributing the viewpoint to Jay P. Greene, a senior fellow at the defense of Freedom institute.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>In an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisn.com\/article\/shorewood-students-walk-out-of-school-protest-ice\/70026672\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">affluent suburb of Milwaukee<\/a> in mid-January, dozens of students left school in the middle of the day to protest actions by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/soros-backed-philadelphia-da-considered-helping-non-citizens-accused-of-rape-murder-avoid-deportation-records-show\/\" title=\"Soros-Backed Philadelphia DA Considered Helping Non-Citizens Accused Of Rape, Murder Avoid Deportation, Records Show\">federal immigration authorities<\/a> to detain and deport people in the U.S. illegally. Similar walkouts have been staged recently in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kare11.com\/article\/news\/local\/ice-in-minnesota\/students-walk-out-class-protest-ice-presence\/89-9dbdab7c-e04a-43f2-a844-249a3c266d94\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Minneapolis<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/kval.com\/news\/local\/benton-county-students-walk-out-in-protest-against-ice-activity-on-campuses-and-nationwide\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oregon<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/riverheadlocal.com\/2026\/01\/16\/riverhead-high-school-students-walk-out-to-protest-ice\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Long Island<\/a>, and elsewhere. And over the past few years, walkouts to protest against Israel were organized in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/corner\/maryland-high-school-endorses-anti-israel-protest\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Montgomery County<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/sfstandard.com\/2023\/10\/18\/san-francisco-high-school-kids-walkout-protest-israel-hamas-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">San Francisco<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7chicago.com\/post\/chicago-public-schools-cps-walkout-ceasefire-gaza-war\/14373001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Chicago<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/komonews.com\/news\/local\/seattle-students-walk-out-for-pro-palestinian-rally-israel-gaza-hamas-palestine-hostages-terrorism-occupation-middle-east-war-united-states-taxes-military-conflict-jewish-muslim\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Seattle<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbur.org\/news\/2023\/12\/01\/boston-latin-school-palestine-israel-walkout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Boston<\/a>, among other places. It&rsquo;s fair to say that groups of students leaving school in left-leaning communities to advocate for leftist concerns has become a regular feature of the educational landscape.<\/p>\n<p>But these walkouts are typically not the spontaneous result of students seeking to express themselves. In almost all cases, these walkouts are encouraged, organized, or at a minimum facilitated by adults. To the extent that adults enable students to leave school so they can engage in political activism, they are in danger of violating the law.<\/p>\n<p>Let&rsquo;s consider the recent walkout in the Milwaukee suburb of Shorewood, Wisconsin. Being absent from school without a valid excuse is considered truancy, which is <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.legis.wisconsin.gov\/statutes\/statutes\/118\/15\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prohibited by Wisconsin law<\/a>. Wisconsin law also forbids <a href=\"https:\/\/wilawlibrary.gov\/jury\/files\/criminal\/2173.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">contributing to truancy<\/a>, which &ldquo;is violated by any person 17 years of age or older who, by any act or omission, knowingly encourages or contributes to the truancy of a child.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Two state representatives, Darrin Madison and Ryan Clancy, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DTlZWYQD1un\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">joined the students in their walkout<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fU5W_MlGKvI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">made speeches to the small crowd<\/a>, praising them for their action. They led the group in chanting &ldquo;stand up, fight back&rdquo; and &ldquo;abolish ICE.&rdquo; While these political expressions are certainly protected speech, encouraging students to leave school by joining them and praising them would very likely constitute contributing to truancy. At a minimum, failing to tell them that they legally should be in school would be an omission that contributed to truancy.<\/p>\n<p>The leaders of the Shorewood School District may also have contributed to this truancy. While the district sent a letter to parents saying that the school did not sponsor the walkout, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisn.com\/article\/shorewood-students-walk-out-of-school-protest-ice\/70026672\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">letter did offer<\/a> that &ldquo;parents could excuse their students for the walkout by calling the attendance office.&rdquo; The district offered this option despite declaring on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shorewood.k12.wi.us\/families-students\/attendance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">its website<\/a> that &ldquo;regular attendance is a key part of student success in the Shorewood School District.&rdquo; <a href=\"https:\/\/go.boarddocs.com\/wi\/shorewood\/Board.nsf\/goto?open&amp;id=DEEJX94F2E87\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">District policy<\/a> lists examples of permitted &ldquo;Parent-Excused Pre-Planned Absence,&rdquo; such as medical appointments or attending a funeral, but participating in a political demonstration is not among those excused absences.<\/p>\n<p>Some might argue that complying with technical requirements to attend school pales in comparison to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bill-mahers-show-will-return-despite-ongoing-strike\/\" title=\"Bill Maher&#039;s show to resume despite ongoing strike.\">broader issues facing<\/a> our country. The protesting students obviously think so, as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wisn.com\/article\/shorewood-students-walk-out-of-school-protest-ice\/70026672\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">one said<\/a>: &ldquo;The mark that me and like my fellow students can leave on the world I think is much more important than, you know, like another day of AP physics and creative writing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>But these students are children, and children are not entitled to decide whether chanting &ldquo;abolish ICE&rdquo; is more important than learning physics and writing. Adults have to make these decisions on their behalf. And adults have enshrined their decisions in laws that compel children to attend school and forbid other adults from undermining that.<\/p>\n<p>Despite these laws, it is very tempting for adults wishing to advance political agendas to mobilize impressionable children for their causes. As one of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fU5W_MlGKvI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">student speakers at the protest emphasized<\/a>, perhaps with some hyperbole, &ldquo;America&rsquo;s youth is the best organizing tool there is.&rdquo; The youth are an attractive enough tool that some adults will be tempted to violate the law to wield it. It is the responsibility of other adults to call them out for these violations, enforce the law, and ensure that our children are focused on their education rather than on being used as pawns in the political battles of grown-ups.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<p>      Jay P. Greene is a senior fellow at the Defense of Freedom Institute.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Paraphrase:<br \/>\nIn Shorewood, a Milwaukee suburb, dozens of students walked out in mid-January to protest federal immigration enforcement. Similar student walkouts have happened recently in places like Minneapolis, Oregon, Long Island, and beyond, and protests against Israel have appeared in various cities. It\u2019s become common for groups in left-leaning communities to stage such walkouts to push left-leaning causes. However, these actions are usually organized or facilitated by adults, not spontaneous student expression. When adults help students skip school to engage politically, they risk violating the law.<\/p>\n<p>Consider Shorewood\u2019s case: missing school without an excuse counts as truancy under Wisconsin law, and someone 17 or older who knowingly encourages a child to skip school can be charged with contributing to truancy. Two state representatives joined the students, praised them, and led chants, which, while protected speech, could amount to contributing to truancy or at least omitting a reminder that students should be in class. The Shorewood School District claimed it did not sponsor the walkout but noted that parents could excuse their children by contacting the attendance office. The district\u2019s policy recognizes medical appointments or funerals as excused absences, but it does not list political demonstrations.<\/p>\n<p>Some argue that broader issues justify bending rules, as one student suggested that leaving a mark on the world matters more than another AP class. Yet children aren\u2019t entitled to decide whether a political action is more important than academics; adults set laws that require attendance and limit using students for political aims. There is a temptation for adults to mobilize impressionable youth for political ends, as a student speaker claimed that \u201cAmerica\u2019s youth is the best organizing tool.\u201d It\u2019s up to other adults to call out violations, enforce the laws, and ensure students remain focused on their education rather than being pawns in grown-up battles.<\/p>\n<p>55-character cap:<br \/>\nAdults push students to protest; truancy laws apply<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":928,"featured_media":2563055,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Copy-of-Untitled-13.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546,33651],"tags":[5152,5894,72584],"class_list":["post-2563054","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist","category-the-western-journal","tag-education","tag-politics","tag-student-protests-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Copy-of-Untitled-13.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563054","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/928"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2563054"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563054\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2563058,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2563054\/revisions\/2563058"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2563055"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2563054"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2563054"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2563054"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}