Hinsdale Central student walkout raises concerns about appropriateness, teacher conduct
More than 100 students at Hinsdale Central High School walked out of class on Feb. 18 to protest federal immigration enforcement, prompting questions from some students, parents, and district officials about whether the school was an appropriate setting for the demonstration.
About 5% of the school’s roughly 2,000 students, drawn from Hinsdale, Clarendon Hills, and parts of Oak Brook, Burr Ridge, Darien, Willowbrook, and Westmont, left class during the final period to join the protest.
One Hinsdale Central sophomore who requested anonymity said the school was an inappropriate setting for a politically charged protest and accused faculty of signaling support for the cause.
“I think it's a distraction,” the student told the DuPage Policy Journal. “I think we should be going to school to learn and not having the beliefs of others getting pushed on us.”
Ahead of the walkout, at least one teacher reportedly voiced support for the anti-ICE movement during class time.
“This one student asked his sophomore English teacher, ‘Are you going to be involved in the protest?’ And she said, ‘I can't really push my belief. But I think this is a good cause and this is a good thing,’” the student said.
The student said teachers expressing political views raised concerns about the protest’s effect on classrooms.
“I don't think an English teacher should be giving her views on her political views,” the student said.
The student said these concerns reflected what they described as a broader political imbalance among faculty.
“All the teachers are really one-sided and are pushing the left-leaning side,” the student said. “If you’re left-leaning, that’s fine, but I don’t think you should be pushing that on high schoolers.”
The student also questioned whether a pro-ICE protest would receive similar tolerance.
“I think our school definitely would take that way more seriously and shut it down right away, 100%,” the student said. “And I think whoever did partake in it would definitely get in more trouble than this protest.”
Opposition to the walkout, the student said, was widespread.
“There are a lot of other people at Hinsdale Central who are very red, and they think this is awful,” the student said. “They’re asking, ‘Why are we doing this if nothing is going to change and it’s just an excuse to get out of class?’”
Some senior students wore Make America Great Again hats as students arrived at school.
“All of the senior guys had on MAGA hats and all the teachers were very annoyed. You could just tell,” the student alleged. “Towards the end of seventh period, students started bringing out their signs.”
The student said one student wore a shirt with a profane anti-Trump message and claimed no staff intervened.
As the walkout began during the school’s final period, a small group of counter-protesters reportedly shouted support for ICE near the school’s entrance.
Students marched roughly two miles to Willow Pond in Willowbrook, where they joined a larger group of students from Hinsdale South High School.
Police monitored intersections along the route as students carried signs supportive of undocumented immigrants and blew whistles, a tactic used in some cities to signal ICE activity.
After gathering at a park, the combined group continued to a busy intersection at Route 83 and Plainfield Road, where they waved signs and chanted at passing motorists.
The walkout was organized through an anonymous Instagram account, hc_walkout, which provided instructions on the day of the protest.
"Reminders: Bring everything you need to take home with you — we are not permitted re-entry into the building after exiting," the hc_walkout account said. "We are not meeting indoors — Exit the Grant St. doors FIRST, then gather in front of the auditorium lobby entrance. Again, outdoors. Leaders and adult volunteers will be present."
The student noted the mention of adult involvement.
“I saw adults walking with the protesters. I don’t know if they were teachers or not, but they were there,” the student said.
The walkout came despite warnings from Hinsdale Township High School District 86. In a letter to students and families, the district said leaving class without authorization disrupts learning and creates safety concerns.
“District 86 does not approve of students leaving the building for any unauthorized reason, including participation in a walkout,” the letter stated.
The district said students who walked out would face consequences.
“Students who leave class will be marked unexcused and will receive school consequences consistent with the student handbook. Discipline decisions are handled by the dean’s office,” the letter said.
It added that students leaving campus could face trespassing restrictions or legal consequences if they gather on private property.
School board member Jeff Waters also warned that students who participated in the walkout would face consequences.
“Students that walk out will not be allowed to participate in their after-school activities, clubs, or sports,” Waters said in a Facebook post.
Kristina McCloy, founder of Concerned Parents of Illinois, who lives in the district, said the gathering appeared to include adults as well as students.
“They could do this on their own time,” she told the DuPage Policy Journal. “I am a strong supporter of freedom of speech, you can protest whenever you want outside school hours. But skipping class and disturbing the learning process for students is a problem. I’d be just as upset if they were walking out during school to rally for MAGA or any conservative cause. Kids are supposed to be in school learning.”
McCloy said what she observed at the protest raised concerns about outside influence and the tone of the demonstration.
“There were adults there, and people holding Mexican flags mixed with American ones, and that’s offensive,” she said. “We’re in America.”
She also questioned transparency regarding who organized the protest.
“It’s reasonable to question whether teachers’ union leaders, politically aligned staff, or outside groups like Indivisible are organizing or encouraging student activism,” McCloy said. “Coordinated messaging, professionally printed signs, large numbers of flags, and organized turnout across multiple campuses don’t typically happen without adult involvement. I saw plenty of adults embedded with the student protesters today.”
McCloy said schools should remain focused on learning rather than political advocacy.
“When political advocacy enters school grounds, people deserve transparency about who’s behind it,” she said. “Teachers’ unions are openly political organizations that engage in policy advocacy affecting schools. If outside groups or political organizations are coordinating these protests, families have a right to know.”
Students march during a Hinsdale Central walkout Feb. 18 as some residents and students criticized the protest for disrupting class and showing faculty bias. (Kristina McCloy)
