Southeast High Student Walkout Paused After Principal Intervention

Two Southeast High School students who identified themselves online as "voicesofsoutheast" posted plans for a 2:35 p.m. walkout on Wednesday to protest recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. The demonstration did not proceed after Principal Eric Yarbrough learned of the plan late Monday night and arranged a meeting with the organizers.

Yarbrough said the walkout was not school-sanctioned and that he had not been contacted in advance. "It was totally out of left field for me," he said in an impromptu interview at the high school Wednesday afternoon. He reported messaging the students through Instagram and asking to meet; the students agreed to the meeting reluctantly.

At the meeting Tuesday, Yarbrough told the students he was concerned about the timing and the potential safety impact on the school community. Students had returned to class on Monday from a two-week Christmas break and were preparing to review fall-semester coursework ahead of teacher-made exams scheduled for Friday. Teacher-made exams factor into student grades at 20 percent, and state end-of-course testing was set to begin Jan. 12, the principal said.

School leaders offered to help students plan demonstrations in ways that would preserve their constitutional rights while establishing safety parameters, Yarbrough said. He emphasized minimizing classroom disruption so students would not jeopardize their academic standing as they head into a testing period.

Students who posted about the planned action framed it as defending the dignity and rights of immigrants. Other North Carolina public school students have recently staged walkouts in response to ICE operations statewide and nationwide, a context that organizers cited in their social media posts.

The Alamance-Burlington School System administration said it was unaware of any walkouts planned at other system schools. For Southeast students and families, the incident underscores how local school schedules, assessment calendars and safety protocols intersect with student political expression.

The episode raises broader questions for district leaders about communication channels between student organizers and administrators, and about procedures for handling unsanctioned demonstrations during high-stakes academic periods. As students across the state continue to engage on national issues, schools will need clear, consistent approaches that balance free expression, instructional continuity and student safety.