Student walkouts protesting ICE operations erupted across Florida in recent weeks.
One school board member inserted herself right into the middle of the controversy.
And one Florida School Board member just said two words that have the Education Commissioner fuming.
Leftist School Board Member Questions Parental Rights Laws
Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios "Stasi" Kamoutsas just torched a Hillsborough County School Board member for encouraging student activism during school hours.
Jessica Vaughn posted on social media questioning whether students should face discipline for walking out of class with parental permission.
"Given that our state has some of the strongest parental rights laws in the country, this seems consistent with the parental bill of rights, no?" Vaughn wrote.
Kamoutsas didn't hold back.
"They're saying the quiet part out loud," Kamoutsas fired back on X. "Leftist school board members, like Jessica Vaughn out of Hillsborough, are finally admitting that they would rather see students engage in activism instead of classroom instruction."
https://twitter.com/StasiKamoutsas/status/2019871894389002314?s=20
The commissioner pointed to Vaughn's stance as exactly why Florida families are fleeing to school choice programs.
Nearly 1.4 million Florida students — roughly half the state's total enrollment — now participate in school choice options.
Vaughn tried defending herself by claiming parents wanted clarity on whether they could excuse their children for "peaceful, non-disruptive student-led protest."
But Kamoutsas issued a statewide memo Tuesday making crystal clear that school personnel cannot facilitate political activism during school hours.
The memo warned that diverting students from instruction or compromising supervision violates professional responsibilities and warrants disciplinary action.
Student Walkouts Spread Despite State Warnings
Students at Pensacola High and Pine Forest High walked out January 30 as part of a coordinated "National Shutdown" protesting ICE operations.
The Escambia County school district handed out suspensions to students who violated policies by leaving campus without authorization.
District spokesman Cody Strother declined to provide exact numbers but confirmed disciplinary actions were taken.
Similar walkouts broke out at high schools across Tampa Bay, Central Florida, and South Florida.
At Mariner High School in Cape Coral, students pushed past security guards, scaled fences, and fled campus entirely.
Witnesses reported students doing burnouts in the parking lot.
https://twitter.com/nicksortor/status/2019493441579667488?s=20
"They were pushing past all the security guards and stuff," freshman Delilah Rivera told reporters.
Brevard County School Board Chair Matt Susin uncovered something that changed the entire narrative.
After social media posts promoted walkouts using official school logos, Susin launched an investigation and discovered outside agitators were hijacking school identities and faking teacher endorsements.
The coordinated nature of these protests across multiple states revealed organization far beyond typical student activism.
Students in Minnesota, California, Texas, Arizona, and New Hampshire staged similar demonstrations around the same time.
Adam Goldstein from the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression noted that walkouts during class clearly cross the line from protected speech into substantial disruption.
"It's very hard to teach students who aren't in class," Goldstein said.
Commissioner Draws Line on Education vs Activism
Kamoutsas made his position unmistakable in statements warning school districts statewide.
The commissioner emphasized that while students retain First Amendment rights, schools exist for one primary purpose — education.
"We will not tolerate educators encouraging school protests and pushing their political views onto students, especially ones that disparage law enforcement," Kamoutsas wrote in a social media post February 3.
Florida's approach mirrors actions taken by Republican leaders in Texas.
Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton threatened to strip funding from schools that "abandon their duty" to educate students.
The Supreme Court's 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines decision established that students don't "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate."
But courts also established the "substantial disruption" standard — schools can intervene when protests materially interfere with operations.
Walking out during instructional time clearly meets that threshold.
Kamoutsas urged parents to discuss with their children "the importance of not allowing civic engagement to detract from time in the classroom."
https://twitter.com/StasiKamoutsas/status/2018751422813135229?s=20
Districts that received the commissioner's guidance warned families that students who leave campus without permission face consequences outlined in Student Codes of Conduct.
Vaughn's attempt to twist Florida's parental rights laws into justification for classroom walkouts exposes exactly what conservatives have warned about.
Leftist school board members will weaponize any policy — even ones designed to empower parents — if it serves their agenda.
Kamoutsas called out that hypocrisy, and Florida families are responding by choosing schools that put education first.
Sources:
- Kennedy Owens, "Florida Education Commissioner criticizes student walkouts, defends transparency rules," Florida's Voice, February 10, 2026.
- Michelle Vecerina, "Education commissioner slams 'leftist' board member for supporting student walkouts," Florida's Voice, February 6, 2026.
- Mary Lett, "Escambia students face discipline, suspensions for ICE walkout," Pensacola News Journal, February 5, 2026.
- Danielle Prieur, "Dozens of students at Brevard high schools walk out to protest ICE raids, killings," Central Florida Public Media, February 6, 2026.
- Adam Goldstein interview, "Student walkouts over immigration enforcement defy state warnings," WUSF, February 11, 2026.
