GROTON, Conn. – Earlier this month, more than 100 students from Fitch High School and surrounding schools staged a walkout protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while administration hosted a special assembly with local officials in response to the planned protest.

On Friday, Feb. 6, multiple students from Fitch protested in front of the main entrance, later joined by students from Ella T. Grasso Technical High School and Groton Middle School. After social media posts about the demonstration went viral on TikTok, administration reinforced school policy and concerns over safety hazards. By the middle of the week, an assembly was announced, which was put together by the Fitch admin team and Superintendent Susan Austin. The event was attended by multiple town officials, all of whom were on hand to hear student concerns over ICE following national developments, specifically in Minneapolis. The group included Groton Board of Education members, State Representatives, and the Chief of the Groton Police Department.  

The planned protest was first announced on TikTok in a post dated Feb. 1. The post went viral, receiving over 150,000 views. In the video, the student who organized the protest discussed when the walkout would take place and instances when ICE had used violent tactics against civilians.  

Administration responded to the plans in a message to students and families posted on ParentSquare, dated Feb. 3:

Hello everyone.  We have heard from the school community that some students may be planning a walk-out for Friday 2-6-2026 at 9am, after the first period class.  Please know that the safety of our students is our top priority.

We want to make sure everyone is aware that any student that leaves school grounds (during the school day) will be subject to receiving disciplinary consequences for leaving school grounds without permission, cutting class, and insubordination.  We will allow students to assemble in a safe location in the school building during CTL on Friday.  Assembling during any other time or location , during school hours, will be constituted as a serious violation of school policy, including but not limited to, a class cut.

We acknowledge that students feel strongly about self-expression, and we support our students’ right to freedom of speech.  Safety is always our number one priority.  Your children are part of our Fitch family. We appreciate our Falcon Families working with us to make sure all of our students stay safe.

Thank you,

The Fitch Admin Team

The organizers continued to post on TikTok and started communicating with students interested in the walkout through social media and group chats. Across multiple social media platforms, the organizers would outline logistics for the walkout. They planned to gather outside of the Fitch High School main entrance at 9 a.m. and start walking towards Groton Middle School at 9:20 a.m. From Groton Middle School, the crowd of protestors would walk along Route 1 to the Groton Town Hall. Here, protestors would congregate and hope to converse with town representatives. 

As Friday approached, questions and concerns arose for some students. 

“While the idea [of the walkout] is great, I believe it’s a bit rushed and is being executed weirdly,” said one anonymous junior. “[A lot is unclear], like how are students supposed to go back home after the protest?” 

On Thursday, Feb. 5, a second message was sent out on Parent Square on behalf of Principal Matthew Brown and Superintendent Susan Austin. The message announced an extended CTL period so students could gather in the auditorium and express their concerns surrounding ICE. This was to ensure students were not put at risk while still giving them an opportunity for their voices to be heard. 

In response, the protest organizers responded on social media, claiming that the assembly was only intended to keep students from leaving the building.

“They only created the assembly because they don’t want us to protest,” one post stated. “If we want to make a change and have our community members safe, we need to walk to get our message out there. An assembly won’t do anything because our message won’t go anywhere.”

The walkout plan remained unchanged, with organizers further criticizing the administration on social media. Other students pushed back, justifying the assembly by pointing out that the original point of the walkout was to have student voices be heard. New posts by the organizers of the protests tried to answer the concerns of students and parents. 

On the morning of Feb. 6, Groton Town Police were spotted around the Fitch High School campus, including the road leading down towards Groton Middle School in preparation for what might transpire.

Students had the option of staying in their CTL or attending the planned assembly. As students gathered outside the main entrance, the assembly began in the auditorium at around 8:55 a.m. In attendance were Board of Education Chair Beverly Washington, Police Chief L.J. Fusaro, Town Manager John Burt, Groton Town Mayor Juliet Parker, City Mayor Jill Rusk, RTM Representative Cathy Chase, Representative Dan Gaiewski, and members of the Fitch High School administrative team led by Principal Matthew Brown. Additional police presence was also on hand.

Early into the assembly, students protesting outside entered the auditorium, interrupting the proceedings while chanting to be “let out.” After several minutes, the students left, and SRO Scott Bousquet addressed the audience, stating that no one was trying to keep students from leaving the building.

“I respect [students’ eagerness to be heard], but no one’s holding you here,” Bousquet said. “It goes both ways. They have opinions and causes, and so do we. We have to respect it.” 

For some, the interruption felt disruptive to the stated cause.

“I feel like [the walkout] was for a good cause, but I feel when they (protestors) walked in the auditorium shouting, it kind of ruined the whole purpose,” said one anonymous student. “There would have been a larger impact if they had just stayed composed.” 

After the students involved in the walkout left the auditorium, students were allowed to bring their questions to the town officials present. Student questions ranged from safety on campus and around the town of Groton to ICE’s rights to engage with the public. Many students share their own perspectives as the children of immigrants.

Both Austin and Chief Fusaro stated that ICE was not allowed in schools or places of worship. 

Students were dismissed from the assembly after an hour. Those who left school for the walkout marched to Groton Middle School and later town hall. Some parents joined the protest, receiving support from some drivers who saw them march. Any students who participated in the walkout and later returned to Fitch were allowed back in without incident, while others went home with their families. Whether students returned or not, many who did so faced disciplinary action. 

Despite the organizers’ objectives, consequences regarding cutting class and leaving Fitch without permission are clearly laid out in the Fitch High School Student Handbook. Regarding such infractions, the handbook states, “The privilege of riding the bus may be suspended for students who violate the established code of conduct.’ By cutting class and walking out, students are effectively leaving school grounds without the administrator’s permission, thus violating an established code of conduct. The school is not liable to give students transportation.”

Posts on social media by the walkout organizers attempted to counter this passage, stating that their actions did not qualify as a violation.

Later that afternoon, Superintendent Austin sent an email to families regarding the events. 

Hello Groton Public Schools Families and Staff,

This morning, Fitch High School hosted an in-house civic town hall bringing together our students, district and school administrators, local and state representatives, and members of the Board of Education to discuss Federal Immigration Enforcement. 

I could not be prouder of our Falcons. As a school community, we embrace our vision of the graduate and strive for all our students to RISE; to become Resilient Individuals, Innovative Learners, Socially Aware Citizens, and Engaged Learners. Today, our students embodied those values. Hundreds of students chose to participate in the school forum, with many speaking bravely and passionately about current events, their concerns, and hopes. The conversation was honest and respectful, and it was clear our students are engaged and want to be informed. 

I would also like to address reports regarding students who participated in the walkout. Approximately 35 students chose to join the student-organized walkout. We did have an increased staff and police presence at the school to monitor who was leaving the building. Students were not blocked from leaving the building, and those who chose to leave exited the building freely and peacefully. The school did not enter a lockdown at any time; however, this afternoon, Fitch High School entered Classroom Secure for an unrelated event.  

We respect the informed decision all students made to exercise their rights – to participate in the school town hall, remain in class, or engage in the walkout – and hope their participation was a meaningful experience for all our students, regardless of the way in which they chose to express themselves. 

We remain committed to providing safe, supportive spaces where our students’ voices can be expressed and they can engage in positive conversations with our local officials.

Sincerely,

Susan L. Austin

Superintendent

Groton Public Schools

In the weeks that followed, state officials initiated legislation and statements regarding ICE’s presence in Connecticut.

On Feb. 20, Rep. John Larson (D-CT-1) announced plans for a bill that would restrict ICE from being present at polling places during elections.

One day later, Gov. Ned Lamont made the following statement on his Instagram:

Yesterday, following the tragedies in Minneapolis, I asked the president directly what lessons had been learned—because whatever success he believes came from closing the border, the events in Minnesota were clearly a failure. I also asked him about his intentions with ICE, including whether additional federal agents would be sent into states like ours.

He stated that they wouldn’t go where they’re not wanted and no surge would take place without a request from the city involved. We will continue to ensure this remains true moving forward and be ready, regardless of how circumstances evolve.