NEWTON COUNTY — Students at Newton High School joined ranks with thousands of high schoolers across Georgia who protested U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations on Friday.

In videos circulating across social media, hundreds of Newton students were seen clamoring at the doors of the school. Additionally, more students appeared to be protesting outside the building. 

Many were carrying signs with anti-ICE messages, and some were seen holding a Mexican flag.

“...I’m doing what’s right, and they cannot make me feel embarrassed or bad about what I did today,” said freshman Audrey Fuller, who is behind the @newtonhighwalkout Instagram account that helped organize the protest.

Newton County Schools shared a statement with The Covington News on Friday afternoon, saying that 49 students participated in the walkout.

“As the district anticipated, a small number of students, 49 in total, participated in a student-led protest at Newton High School today,” the statement read, in part. “As a precautionary measure, additional support personnel were present at the school to reinforce administrative efforts to maintain school operations.”

Fuller shared that the number 49, in her opinion, is a low tally.

The freshman said that she thinks there were around 140 students outside of the building and that hundreds more were inside trying to exit, but were stopped by school officials.

“There were a lot less [outside] than I thought there would be, but I think that’s just because they were fully blocking the doors,” Fuller said. “...Even when we were walking around [outside], there were students in every window who had signs and posters.”

Sherri Partee, executive director of communications at Newton County Schools, shared how the district determined 49 students were involved. 

“In anticipation of the protest, the administrative team prepared a procedure to collect the names and student profile information of all participating students,” Partee shared via email. “49 total left the building and subsequently returned, the majority of whom were ninth-grade students. This number may increase as additional students are identified.”

Partee added that the appearance of large numbers of participating students may be misleading because the walkout took place during a class change.

“For context, the protest was initiated during a class change which prompted non-participating students to gather in the commons area and observe the events of the day,” Partee shared. “This imagery would make it difficult for people not present to discern which students were participating from those who were not.”

Ivyana Olguin, a Newton High senior, said that she believes some of the students gathered indoors have been solely observing, but that many were active participants in the demonstration.

“After the bell rung and some students got to class, there were still more students out there and still advocating with signs and so forth,” Olguin said.

According to Olguin and Fuller, the high school administration tried to quell the walkout by blocking the doors.

“I had upstairs class, so I had to walk all the way downstairs, and by the time I got there, there was just students everywhere trying to get out the doors,” Fuller said. “There were about, I’d say 10 to 15 staff members and like Newton superintendent members that were like trying to block the doors and everything and keep students from going out. They were blowing their whistles, putting stuff on the megaphone, just trying to scare us away pretty much.”

Newton’s school resource officers were supported by additional officers from the school district, as well as backup from the Newton County Sheriff’s Office, according to a spokesperson from the sheriff’s office. The number of deputies dispatched to the high school remains unclear.

The spokesperson also told The News that no students were arrested while participating in the walkout.

The Jan. 30 walkout protest was part of a “National Shutdown” that was organized across social media. It is spurred in part by ICE’s recent activities in Minneapolis, as well as across the nation. 

The Party for Socialism and Liberation in Atlanta circulated a list of a hundred schools in Georgia that would be participating in the Friday walkouts. No Newton County Schools were on the list.

Ahead of Friday, Newton students had been informed that they risked disciplinary action if they chose to participate in the statewide demonstrations. Newton Principal Stephen Hammock made an announcement that morning, Fuller recalls.

“He’s been saying on the announcements like ‘Oh, you know you have a right to your First Amendment and everything like that, but if you do choose to participate, there will be disciplinary action. We will write you up. We will put you in ISS.’ Things like that,” Fuller said. 

Additionally, Newton County Schools Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley, III shared a message with staff and families earlier this week.

“In Newton County Schools, healthy civic engagement is an important part of developing informed and conscientious adults,” Bradley wrote, in part. “We respect students who seek to make their voices heard and recognize that those who emerge as leaders among their peers often do so because they have earned trust.

“At the same time, our district is guided by the mission of providing educational excellence for every child. Any form of expression, however sincerely held, must not disrupt instruction or interfere with the right of others to learn in a safe and orderly environment.”

Olguin said that, despite the threat of disciplinary action, she chose to participate because she finds it important to be active in making a difference.

“I felt like me and some others that I know were trying to not be so scared of the consequences because it's our First Amendment right to have freedom of speech,” Olguin said. “And in order to make a difference in the world, it starts with us. This younger generation is the new future of our world, so in order for change to happen, it starts with us.”

Newton High School’s Student Government Association (SGA) shared a statement with The News following Friday’s demonstration.

“While SGA was not involved in organizing or participating in the walkout, we recognize that students use different forms of expression to voice their concerns,” the statement read. “As student leaders, we are in a unique position to understand the wants and concerns of the student body while also being mindful of the safety considerations the administration works to protect students from. We are dedicated to ensuring student voices are heard and are currently in discussion with Newton administration to help ensure students feel safe, supported, and heard in a respectful and constructive way.”

One of Olguin’s takeaways from the protest was how Newton students of many backgrounds came together to take part. 

Olguin said that athletes, ALANHS members, leaders and even the quieter students were among those participating in the demonstration. 

“I understand that there are immigrants who are criminals and that though there are some, not all immigrants are like that, some are just trying to better their families and give their kids a future or something so little like hope,” Olguin said. “ICE are tearing families apart and scaring those who are citizens but just because they may look like an immigrant, they decide to unlawfully detain them and send them to camps that have been reported to be harming some of the ones in custody. 

“The protest is more than just helping those who can not speak themselves, it’s about building our future and remembering that this is what we have spent years fighting for. Being able to speak freely is our First Amendment, so why try to stop that when it’s to benefit some of our students here at Newton.”

Managing Editor Evan Newton contributed to this report.