Texas Governor Greg Abbott Orders Penalties for Student Walkouts During School Hours

Governor Abbott's Stance on Student Protests

• 🎯 Governor Greg Abbott has issued directives to the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to implement penalties for students participating in protests during school hours.
• 🏫 Abbott stated that these walkouts are not protected speech and that students' core responsibility is to attend school and receive education.
• ⚠️ The governor emphasized that school districts could face penalties, including loss of funding, if students are marked absent for skipping class to protest.

Rationale and Concerns

• 🗣️ Abbott believes that the freedom of speech does not grant the right to say or act in any way, anywhere, or anytime.
• 🛡️ He also cited student safety as a reason for his directives, noting that districts could be held legally responsible if something were to happen to a student during a protest.
• 📈 The TEA is cracking down on districts, with attendance-based funding being a key factor in potential financial repercussions.

Advocacy and Counterarguments

• ✊ Advocates, like the group Fel, argue that student participation in protests is necessary trouble and should be applauded, especially concerning government actions affecting young people.
• 💬 The phrase "if you're quiet, you look prettier" was mentioned as detrimental to the Latino community, suggesting a need for such protests.

Incident in Buda

• 💥 A demonstration in Buda, Texas, in response to ICE operations, led to a physical confrontation between a student and an adult.
• ⚖️ The adult, Chad Michael Watts, was arrested and charged with assault and causing bodily injury for intervening aggressively in the protest.