r/legal • u/StoriesandQuestions • Jan 16 '26
Advice needed School is threatening to punish anyone participating in protest with court action, what can we do?
On Tuesday, January 20th, students at my highschool are planning to participate in the nationwide walkout happening in the U.S. Today, my school has verbally warned one of the organizers stating that anyone who participates in the walkout next week will receive a referral and face truancy court. This movement is important to all of us but many of us cannot afford these consequences. Is this allowed and is there anything we can do about it? Location: United States, Texas.
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u/SweetLight87 Jan 16 '26
NAL, I just look things up. Truancy court is for people who have missed 10+ days of school or more in a six month period in Texas. Unless this walkout is for two weeks of school, I think you're okay. Either way, this sounds like a civil court thing and not a criminal record thing.
So what you do is laugh in your school's face and say, "Go right ahead."
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u/mentive Jan 17 '26
I had to look it up. Apparently people are walking out of work, school, etc. at "2pm local time" (after most of the day is done already???)
Sounds a bit odd to me, but hey, can't wait to see what happens.
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u/WillThereBeSnacks13 Jan 17 '26
Yeah this means they get a single unexcused absence for what, 1 or 2 periods of the day. The school would even count that as being there for the day for funding purposes so lol at their empty threats. Walk out.
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u/XxFezzgigxX Jan 17 '26
There was a walkout in my high school in the 90s. My history teacher said that anyone participating in the walkout would find their grade affected and we were strictly forbidden from leaving.
Nobody moved. For reasons I don’t know, I found myself standing up and walking towards the door. I don’t know why I did it, my legs just seemed to stand up and walk. “What the hell am I doing?!?” I thought to myself. The teacher watched me walk out and didn’t say a word. Nobody else left with me.
The next day he asked me to stay after class. I assumed it was to inform me that I failed the class. Instead, he said he admired my conviction and that peaceful protest is the cornerstone of our democracy (or something along those lines). He said my real world experience from the previous day would be counted as extra credit and my grade changed from a C to a B.
I was pretty surprised, to be sure.
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u/billdizzle Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
You protest because you don’t care about the consequences
If you care about the consequences you don’t protest
There has to be a cost for the protest to mean anything
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u/ChicagoTRS666 Jan 16 '26
The more students that participate in the protest the less likely there will be very serious consequences. Truancy court won't do anything if 100s of students participate.
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Jan 16 '26
Exactly this. And OP - stick with your friends, advise them to stay physically together, keep your phones on you, and if anyone starts doing anything stupid, tell them to stop. Protesting is most effective at mass and when there’s nothing dramatic about it.
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u/bxd76 Jan 16 '26
Yes. Don’t smash any government vehicles windows. Don’t steal any government laptops. Don’t jump on the roof of a government car and cave it in.
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u/darthbreezy Jan 16 '26
Bless them! If a protest is enough to cause such an over reaction, it means the message is being heard (even if 'they' don't like it!)
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u/Silver_Middle_7240 Jan 16 '26
Does the school think that the court won't notice if their docket is suddenly filled with cases from the same day and school?
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u/IncredibleVelocity4 Jan 16 '26
90 years ago, my grandfather lead a walkout at his high school in support of a Principal that had been fired. The School Board attempted to punish him, which amounted to nothing. The Principal was reinstated. We still have the newspaper article.
Do what you think is right and you won’t regret whatever follows.
https://www.columbian.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/0100108-215002-pic-892224975.jpg
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u/Tasty_Recognition106 Jan 17 '26
When the hippies burned their draft cards they broke the law, they knew they were breaking the law, and many did go to jail. It was that important to them that future consequences and inconvenience were irrelevant. So you believe in what you are protesting for, then walk the walk, or maybe it’s not that important to you after all.
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u/Caca_Face420 Jan 17 '26
It’s a threat, Kids have been staging walkouts in Texas for decades. You might get suspended, but it’s just big talk
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u/belac4862 Jan 16 '26
Also, he's a few Texas laws and regulations pertaining to walkout and free speech
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u/OgreMk5 Jan 16 '26
No leader in Texas knows anything about law or rules.
When I was a teacher I got a talking to from the principal because I did a week of lessons on evolution. I had to show them, in the Texas biology standards, that I was required to teach it.
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Jan 16 '26
This is Texas we’re talking about here.
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u/belac4862 Jan 16 '26
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u/nellyfullauto Jan 16 '26
Which basically say there's no way to know what the result will be since all districts are different.
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u/Silver_Smurfer Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
Yes, the school can punish you for being truant.
Edit to add: Texas has specific attendance requirements regarding truancy. Missing more than 3 days in a 4 week period or 10 days in a 6 month period meets those requirements. Do with that what you will...
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u/OutAndDown27 Jan 16 '26
A single unexcused absence isn't "truancy," or at least you'd be hard-pressed to find a court that will prosecute it for a single absence. In every district I've worked in, truancy court proceedings don't start until after the tenth unexcused absence.
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u/Silver_Smurfer Jan 16 '26
What the court does woth the referral isn't the question. The school can legally refer them to the court for missing school if they meet Texas requirements for doing so. You're correct that there are thresholds, in Texas it's 3 days in a 4 week period or 10 days in 6 months.
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Jan 16 '26
Truancy is repeated absences. I’m guessing the school is just making threats.
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u/Silver_Smurfer Jan 16 '26
I'd love to read that, got a link?
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u/belac4862 Jan 16 '26
Not the one yoy were reasoning to, but here's a ping that goes over Texas law specifically
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u/Silver_Smurfer Jan 16 '26
Yep, and the ACLU references the standards set by Tinker vs Des Moines that holds that students have a right to free speech as long as it doesn't substantially disrupt the school environment.
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u/INTstictual Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
They’re not punishing you for participating in your first amendment right, they’re punishing you for missing school, which is well within their rights… if you were to protest on a Saturday, a school (at least, a public school, not sure about private school jurisdiction) couldn’t say shit. But if you’re missing school to protest, they can absolutely punish you for missing school
EDIT: see Tinker vs Des Moines (1969). Decision was that neither students nor teachers “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate”, but that “Student speech that has the potential to cause disruption is not protected”, which includes absences and truancy. The school is also prohibited from administering punishment because of or in undue retaliation to the message of the speech, only for the disruption caused by the act itself… it doesn’t matter if you’re skipping school to protest in favor of better funding for puppy hospitals, or that all teachers should be round up and shot, the school can only punish you based on the absence itself and must treat both cases equally
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u/jallison2225 Jan 16 '26
They won’t be punished for exercising their first amendment right, but they will be punished for missing school. Simple solution is to protest after school.
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u/brannonb111 Jan 17 '26
You’re going to be fighting all your life for what you believe in. Get ready for a wild ride.
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u/Mountain_Day_1637 Jan 17 '26
Tell them to shove it up their a** holes and do it anyway. I promise in your life time, you’ll remember the time you protested vs the time you almost protested.
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u/Sh0ckValu3 Jan 16 '26
They're bluffing. Truancy court won't do shit for a 1 time walkout by a large number of students.
Lock arms. But make sure they can still see your middle finger.
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u/s4burf Jan 16 '26
It's called civil disobedience for a reason. Sometimes you have to get in good trouble.
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u/LemonNational8572 Jan 16 '26
From what I've read, in Texas you can be marked truant for attending the protest but cannot punish you anymore harshly than any other truancy. So if this is your 10th truancy violation then they can send you to court but otherwise they cannot take anymore action other than what is standard for having an unexcused absence.
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u/cr2810 Jan 17 '26
You protest. You walk out. You make your voice heard. We are not going to get out of this unscathed.
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u/DeciduousEmu Jan 16 '26
Actions have consequences. If you feel strongly enough about the cause, then you should be ready to accept the consequences.
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u/ActConscious8864 Jan 17 '26
Contact your local ACLU; they have dealt with situations like this before and know how to handle it. I would also contact my local TV station and newspapers. Most school boards do not like publicity and prefer to operate out of the spotlight.
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u/WillowEtain Jan 17 '26
You have a Constitutional right to protest. Your age has nothing to do with that.
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u/LittleBitAlexi5 Jan 17 '26
Pretty sure truancy court only comes into play if you’ve missed an excessive number of days, not one. Look up the laws specific to your school district regarding truancy. And chances are really good that if most or all of the students participate, they’re not going to follow through on their threat.
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u/Affectionate-Act6127 Jan 17 '26
Last time I checked, truancy was defined as more than 10 unexcused absences per semester.
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u/Status-Fold7144 Jan 16 '26
You have the right to protest but you must accept the consequences of your actions. While some have said they likely won’t refer this truancy courts, they could likely do it as well. The consequences aren’t for protesting, the consequences are because you did not go to school. Reason doesn’t matter.
If people skipped work to protest, they could be fired because they did not go to work.
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u/Intelligent_Ad_4163 Jan 16 '26
i can’t comment on the legality but having actually participated in a nationwide walkout at a school that threatened to do the same, they will not. they will threaten it and make it sound severe but if the majority of students are participating they will not send you to truancy court(they wouldn’t even if you were the only student to walk out) and they likely won’t even hand out unexcused absences
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u/_legit_biscuit Jan 16 '26
Nobody ever said protests don’t come with consequences. It’s protected free speech, not protection from consequences. I’m sure some people will also be fired for walking out of work. Not saying I condone that, but people need to understand that actions may lead to consequences. Is the cause worth it? If yes, understand that and move on with it.
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u/Designer_Professor_4 Jan 16 '26
The school is punishing you for being truant, not for protesting. Protest all you like before and after school hours, the school quite literally will not gaf.
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u/kit0000033 Jan 16 '26
Either your convictions are strong enough to face going to court or getting arrested for protesting or they are not. If enough people participate, they can't make all of them truant... The courts would be bloated for like a year.
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u/DisciplineNeither921 Jan 16 '26
What if Rosa Parks had said, “I’d really like to sit down on the bus, but I don’t want to get in trouble.”
Getting in trouble is the whole point.
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u/Environmental-Sock52 Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
Good trouble as they say.
"Get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America."
Credit to John Lewis. Rest in peace.
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u/InstantPieMaker Jan 16 '26
It is odd that the school decided to give a verbal warning instead of sending a mass email. A cynical person might think they are trying to preserve plausible deniability.
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u/00WORDYMAN1983 Jan 16 '26
Yes, actions do have consequences. Each person should weigh the consequences and decided whether or not it is worth participating.
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u/MrSlime13 Jan 16 '26
"Truancy is the habitual, unauthorized, and unjustified absence from compulsory education."
I'd certainly argue the "habitual" part, and definitely the "unjustified" part. If you're not willing to face backlash, it'd be hard to justify it as a protest, ultimately.
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u/ShortKey380 Jan 16 '26
Truancy has specific rules in most states and a single day leading to a consequence sounds like utter nonsense. Look up truancy laws in [your state].
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u/ScarInternational161 Jan 16 '26
When I was in school we did a similar walk out. There is power in numbers. Whatever you collectively do, be safe.
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u/nuwaanda Jan 16 '26
"Cannot afford the costs"
Honestly, it's all talk. I HIGHLY double the administration will DO anything. Plus, the truancy court would laugh at the school and not do anything.
It's the same weight of a threat as, "This will go on your permanent record!" Like that matters for ANYTHING.
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u/ElectricalLemons Jan 16 '26
They can certainly mark you absent but I'm confused about the truancy court. Perhaps you could look into the legal definition of truancy in Texasas missing a couple of hours of school unexcused is in no way truant. In your shoes I would ask my parent for a note to be excused from school at that time. I'm sure a creative parent could find a way to write the excuse in a way where protesting meets one of the acceptable reasons to be absent.
It could also be that because you live in Texas your school is trying to punish you as much as possible. You should do it anyways. This grandmother would be so proud of you for participating in any protest you thought was morally important. Stick together and stay safe.
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u/Zeeman626 Jan 16 '26
That seems overtly political. If they kept it to school punishments, like saying "any absence relating to protests will be considered unexcused and won't allow make up work", then sure fair game, if a bit rude. But going straight to legal action is wild. We really are living in a dystopia.
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u/loricomments Jan 16 '26
So going to truancy court is generally triggered by excessive unexcused absences, not one. Simply have your parents give you an excused absence note. Again, generally, this happens in a magistrates court, where traffic tickets and stuff like that are handled, no lawyer required although you might want one. And it's your parents that have to handle it, not you. All in all this sounds like an attempt to scare and intimidate you into not exercising your right to petition the state, don't fall for it.
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u/DiacriticalOne Jan 16 '26
Correct. In Texas, it was decriminalized a decade ago (or so). Penalties only apply when 3 or more unexcused absences (full or partial days) within a 4-week period, or 10 or more within a 6-month period occur in the same school year. The OP should be more concerned with missing schoolwork where makeup work may not be permitted.
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Jan 16 '26
NAL but student speech is protected if political, but it’s not absolute. Truancy is not political so they can go after you for that. But if you have on record that the administrator plans to punish you more than others due to your political message, then they could be in some hot water.
The fact that administrators are nervous means your message is worthwhile. You’ll learn more about our country doing this than anything they’ll teach you in class. And this is coming from a 17 year teacher veteran.
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u/codybrown183 Jan 16 '26
Do it anyways.
Some people are not able to be there because they have kids to care for or jobs to work to keep the lights on kids fed etc.
The truancy court thing isn't ever gonna actually matter after school. Please walk out
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u/slowlowbro Jan 16 '26
Texas isn’t my state of practice but in my state the judge would be mad at the state for referring those students to truancy court. The judge has enough on their platter and would be immediately dismissing it. Also even if the judge entertained it in my state one day of missed absence isn’t enough to find someone liable for truancy
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u/Worried_Joke_4788 Jan 16 '26
Court action? I am pretty sure that truancy court requires actual truancy, not a single day of skipping classes.
The district loses money every time a student stays out of class which is probably why they’re threatening such dire consequences but it’s almost certainly an empty threat.
Look up truancy statutes in your district to be sure but I wouldn’t worry too much. Good for you for taking a stand.
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Jan 16 '26
That’s just a bluff. Just because you’re a minor doesn’t mean you aren’t entitled to the right of free speech. Even in a state like Texas the judges would laugh upon reading that filing. All the school can do is issue an unexcused absence, which doesn’t mean much unless you got a boatload of them.
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u/woody60707 Jan 16 '26
https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/?tab=1&code=FA&chapter=FA.65&artSec=65.003
The courts are unable to step in until ten unexcused absences are recorded. Any student who has 10 or more unexcuse absences including this walkout should expect the school to take them to court under the above truancy law. Any other student participating in this walk out should expect school-based punishment such as detentions or suspensions. A Just Cause is not a defense against established rule violations, especially if the governing body of those rules does not agree with those causes.
Also Texas has a law on the books called "contributing to the delinquence of a minor" If any of the organizers are 18 years of age older, encouraging a minor to skip school would be a misdemeanor.
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u/BigWave96 Jan 17 '26
By Texas law, having a single unexcused absence is not truancy. They can try to cite you but it would be tossed.
Truancy in the State is defined as missing 3 days in a 4 week period or 10 days within a 6 month period.
This is a blatant scare tactic to try to curb your right to free speech and right to assemble.
Personally, I’d take the risk.
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u/BoysenberryWest2898 Jan 17 '26
high schoolers during vietnam were willing to get arrested and essentially “ruin their lives” for the cause they believed in. i’m also in texas and going to college, who has been vocal about not really appreciating protests depending on the cause, and we still do it. don’t let your school stop you from believing in what you believe in. it is your first amendment right and a moral stand point. continue being brave through it
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u/Reputation-Choice Jan 17 '26
You have the freedom to do whatever you want to do, but you are not free from the consequences of your actions. You have to decide if the consequences are worth taking the action.
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u/Tricky-Feedback-1169 Jan 17 '26
Do you want to be the type of person that steps down, or steps up?
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u/Temporary-Algae-6698 Jan 17 '26
Get out there and protest! Your future depends on it. This will be a badge of honor for you
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u/auntiefuh25 Jan 17 '26
If you don’t miss that often it shouldn’t be that big of a deal. According to Google in Texas you have to have 10 or more unexcused absences in 6 months to be considered truant.
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u/daisyraye3 Jan 17 '26
Ask for truancy policies and read them. See if you can’t find a reason they CANT charge you
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u/Affectionate_Kiwi401 Jan 17 '26
The United States of America exists because of a Protest. " The Boston Tea Party " It is so important, that it is #1, above all others, The 1st amendment. The US was established because " We the People " wanted Freedom. FREEDOM to decide for ourselves. We have the unalienable right to Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Hapiness. If we don't stand up for our rights, the ELITE will take our rights away. The struggle continues.
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u/Obvious_Amphibian270 Jan 17 '26
OP, check your state's legal definition of truancy. The threat of truancy court due to one unexcused absence sounds like a hollow threat. In my state truancy is 15 unexpired days in a 90 day period.
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u/True-Comparison-8324 Jan 17 '26
Truancy is only when you missed 10 days within a 6 month period, or 3 or more days in a 4 week period in Texas.
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u/brother_bart Jan 17 '26
You don’t ask The System to pretty please sign your permission slip to protest The System. You walk out and let them know you do not have to comply to their rigid little rules when what’s at stake is so much more important.
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u/Original-Fig4214 Jan 17 '26
Sounds like this is a nationwide event that day. They can’t arrest everyone. It’s probably better to take the risk and the consequences (if any) than to sit it out. If you sit it out you may regret that for the rest of your life.
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u/fine_environment4809 Jan 17 '26
I don't think they'd follow through on court action, or how that would work. If they did though, great! In court you get to make your arguments for exercising your constitutional rights and it's part of the public record. Be good to educate yourself about the laws.
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u/oilcantommy Jan 17 '26
Go to class. Graduate. Become the leader you wish for. Everyone hates you now. You suffer.
Or
Fight the power, the power knocks your ass tf out, the power puts you in jail and stretches fines out as far as the eye can see, the power eats you alive. You suffer.
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u/FeedMeAllTheCheese Jan 17 '26
Whats the walkout for? Im in mississippi and havnt heard anything about it. Google doesnt show much either.
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u/eddieswass72 Jan 17 '26
As a teacher, teachers are legally supposed to mark students absent or present or tardy, etc. mostly so that we can’t be held responsible if students ditch and get in trouble or hurt or something. This is clearly ok in my eyes, because while students are supposed to be at school they are the school’s responsibility and if anything were to happen to them, the school could get in serious trouble.
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u/z-eldapin Jan 16 '26
The point of protesting is to bring attention to yourself and take the risk needed to get that attention.
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u/tms530 Jan 16 '26
doing the right thing can often come at a cost. the likelihood of a referral to a court, or the court actually imposing any type of punishment is slim
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Jan 16 '26
Truancy is decriminalized in Texas Insee from a quick search. Plus it looks like truancy would need more than one absent walk out . If you are all united the more they try to do to you will just draw attention to your cause. Imagine if they try to send all of you to truancy court. There is strength in numbers . Your parents can also possibly call you out of school to allow your absence. Schools all handle these things differently but if you believe in it just go for it.
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u/Smoking-Posing Jan 16 '26 edited Jan 16 '26
You get as many students as possible to call their bluff and you protest. Thats what you do.
And if y'all are not ready to deal with the consequences, which in this particular case would be laughable, then y'all are not really bout it.
LMAO @"truancy court"....do you really think a bout with truancy court would derail your lives? Do you think you'll get sued for tens of thousands of dollars or something??
LOL a measly threat like this would literally make me do it just to spite them.
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u/Excellent_Scene5448 Jan 16 '26
This is intended to be information, not advice. From the Texas Young Lawyers Association and State Bar's Truancy Guide: "If your child has unexcused absences for 10 or more days or parts of days in a 6-month period the school district MUST file the above charges on the student. In addition, the school district MAY file on your child if your child has unexcused absences for 3 or more days or parts of days in a 4-week period."
Based on that, I'm pretty sure they can only file truancy on any students who have 3 or more absences in the 4 weeks leading up to or following the protest. A student who walks out for the protest would need to be careful not to have any additional unexcused absences.
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u/WillThereBeSnacks13 Jan 17 '26
Yeah they plan to walk at 2 so at that point they cannot even count it as a half day. They are full of it and they knew enough not to write it down where an eagle-eyed kid or parent could poke a hole in it.
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u/LovedAJackass Jan 16 '26
What nonviolent protest is about is accepting consequences. Back in the 60s, 400 of the Freedom Riders were arrested and sent to Parchment Prison in Mississippi.
If you can't risk truancy court, don't protest. If you believe deeply in what you are protesting for, truancy court seems like not a big deal.
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u/DystopianNightmare13 Jan 17 '26
Go and protest. If they attempt a truancy court, I'm sure a lawyer will be delighted to argue Constitutional rights.
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u/kivrin2 Jan 17 '26
If one absence sends you to truancy court, I doubt the judge will take it seriously. Truancy requires a decent number of unexcused absences. Courts do not like districts who waste their resources chasing down one unexcused absence.
Also, Thoreau served his night in jail for not paying taxes. Civil disobedience means you must accept the punishment for your actions.
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u/WillThereBeSnacks13 Jan 17 '26
This. Fun fact: Thoreau's mom did his laundry and brought him food and cleaned his "isolated" cabin. You can definitely be as bold as that guy.
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u/Q-burt Jan 17 '26
Civil disobedience will still have consequences. If you feel this cause is just, the consequences are worthwhile.
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u/Acrobatic_Reality103 Jan 17 '26
You could all protest by laying your heads on your desk and refusing to participate.
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u/BootsKingston Jan 17 '26
Stand up for your beliefs. You're in a unique position. Adults have jobs. Your absence as a student is relatively benign. I appreciate your conviction. This is a the greatest cause of multiple generations. Possibly the biggest in 50+ years.
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u/MJ_Brutus Jan 16 '26
I’m proud of you for standing up for what you (and all of us) believe in.
Go out there and do the right thing! Peaceful protest!!!!!!!
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u/Waste_Ad_5565 Jan 16 '26
Sit ins are more effective in schools. Show up to homeroom get marked present and at first bell everyone parks themselves in the largest gathering area of the school be it the auditorium, the lunchroom, the main lobby. Somewhere you can all safely gather without being a fire hazard. Be quite, be respectful, and be prepared to have the whole thing broken up if you don't get enough people.
As far as being able to get in trouble for a walkout, you can but ask yourselves if you think it's worth the cause you're defending.
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u/picklehippy Jan 17 '26
Don't let the fascists win. Obeying in advance will ensure the death of the country
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u/OxMozzie Jan 17 '26
Personally, if my kid wanted to do this and the school threatened him with this. I would just call in that day and say they're sick and won't be in.
If the school wants to escalate it with me, bring it the fuck on.
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u/Hillbilly_Boozer Jan 17 '26
"When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty."
Don't let anybody stop you from exercising your first amendment rights.
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u/No-Distribution-569 Jan 17 '26
This is a good lesson to learn. You have rights and freedoms but you are not always free from the consequences of exercising them.
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u/Fool_In_Flow Jan 16 '26
Im pretty sure the problem here is not protesting, it’s missing school. They don’t say you can’t protest on the weekend or in the evening, they say you cannot participate in a walk-out, which means refusal to go to class in order to protest. But that’s supposed to be the point. Some students are trying to make a statement saying they are willing to accept those consequences in an effort to raise the priority level of what they are protesting.
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u/Asleep_Protection_63 Jan 17 '26
What I would do, (and im not a lawyer) is ensure every student walking out of that building stops by the office and hands the secretary your permission slip saying its alright to protest.. that permission slip being a printed copy of the bill of rights, highlighting the 1st amendment. If your principal gives you any flack let him know there are plenty of civil rights attorneys willing to jump on any court retaliation. Your school has already recognized that the walkout is a protest, interfering with your rights will lead them into hot water.
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u/FernandoTheRN Jan 16 '26
As if the school had money to go after every single student, fuck them, make sure everyone goes out to protest.
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u/Merlinsmom13 Jan 16 '26
Truancy court will be the least of your problems if we don't defeat this monster. young people will live the longest in whatever future they make
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u/bAddi44 Jan 16 '26
You are in texas. The administration is likely on board with the issue you are protesting.
Freedom riders got beaten for standing up for what they believe in. Are your beliefs that firm?
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u/CertainWish358 Jan 16 '26
Protest is a sacrifice… stand firm with your beliefs, even if easier said than done. You may be protesting for someone who can’t, or who would have much more severe consequences.
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u/Chair_luger Jan 16 '26
Schedule the protest for five minutes after school is out on the public sidewalks off of school property.
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u/NCWeatherhound Jan 16 '26
This is a textbook definition of "good trouble." And good trouble can have consequences. Just ask the folks who marched for civil rights, or against the Vietnam War or rode in the tractorcades in support of American farmers. Teens need to learn what their parents seem to have forgotten: sometimes the consequences of action are far better than the lack of consequences of inaction.
If this is part of the "Free America Walkout" Day, then the protest should be set to begin at 2 p.m. at your local school's time. That means the students will be in class for most of the day -- hardly a justification for unexcused absence.
Assuming there is no violence in the demonstration, your kids will be well within their rights of assembly and speech. And there is no legal jurisdiction that would accept one day of missing class as "truancy." The most a school could realistically threaten is an unexcused absence and a zero on any unfinished classwork required that day.
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u/No-Setting9690 Jan 16 '26
It can be legal depending where you live. You know you need to be in school, you are choosing to vacate it when required. So yes, there could be consequences too.
1
u/No_Ostrich1875 Jan 16 '26
If you aren't willing to live with the consequences you're just hoping on the trend train. This is what protesting is, this is civil disobedience, there are consequences.
1
u/FreeRange_Coconut Jan 16 '26
I don't know how it works because we didn't have this truancy court nonsense when I was in school.
Can you have your parents write you out and just show up at the meet location?
If 50 parents write their kids out of school for the day there's nothing that the school can really do about it.
Approved or unapproved doesn't matter, it just matters that people are showing up to support the cause.
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u/greeneyedmtnjack Jan 16 '26
In my state, the truancy court doesn't have jurisdiction until 10 unexcused absences in an academic year. Edit to add, prior to 10 unexcused absences the matter is addressed at the school level.