The Cost of Civil Disobedience: The Quakertown Arrests

Student protests have been sweeping the nation, and, in their wake, threats, violence, and punishment.

Fifty-seven years ago yesterday, a ringing school bell was no longer enough to silence the Constitution. Tinker v. Des Moines has safeguarded the free speech rights of students ever since.

Since early January, I have cataloged more than 1,000 student-led protests (view the map). They account for 9% of the more than 12,200 civil resistance actions taken in 2026.

While a handful of groups have carried their dissent to the steps of Capitol buildings, most have marched through the streets they call home. This movement has brought the fight for freedom from Main Street to the cul-de-sac, from the elected to the electorate—where true power lies.

Their free speech carries a price. In reviewing hundreds of articles, I have noted a wave of pushback. Students have faced disciplinary action, including suspensions and the loss of privileges. There have been arrests and threats. Passersby and peers alike have inflicted violence and harassment.

At Woodbridge High School in Virginia, 303 students were suspended for three days after a walkout. In Mustang, Oklahoma, 120 students were suspended. A student was attacked during a walkout staged by Grand Island Senior High School in Nebraska. These are only a few examples among dozens.

The retaliation young people are facing aligns with data collected by the United States Institute of Peace in collaboration with the Harvard Kennedy School. “Youthful movements are not more violent. In fact, they’re just as peaceful as ones with lower levels of youth participation,” Zoe Marks said. “But the state is much more likely to treat them as violent and attack them, basically, with violent repression.”

Last week’s violence in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, underscores Marks’ point. The protest might never have made headlines were it not for a single moment, one act of aggression that turned a demonstration into a brawl.

At 11:35 a.m., about 35 students from Quakertown Community High School staged a walkout. According to police, some participants were “unruly.” Reports cited tossed snowballs and kicked tires. Student witnesses, however, say their peers were reacting to harassment.

Police were called. One of two videos captures an officer confronting a teenage girl. Through the swell of voices, it is difficult to discern every word. One thing, however, is clear: the students are not aggressive—until a man in a tan jacket rushed into the crowd.

Within hours, the man was identified as Scott McElree, Quakertown’s chief of police and borough manager. According to witnesses and video footage, McElree grabbed a student. Four or five students rushed to their classmate’s aid. Punches were thrown. At one point, McElree held a petite girl in a chokehold. They fell to the ground. In the end, five students and one adult were arrested. Three were released Tuesday, while two remain in custody.

It may be tempting to dismiss Friday’s arrests as an isolated event. It is not. Quakertown is not an anomaly. It follows a pattern. Dissenting voices were ignored. Self-defense was labeled as assault. In the end, the aggression perpetrated by an “authority figure” was excused, while his alleged victims face felony charges.

The irony is stark. Students face suspension while the men whose actions they protest remain free. Rapists occupy seats of power. Children are arrested for demanding justice. We subject students to censure while black boxes shield the identities of pedophiles.

Civil disobedience is a spotlight—a beam that casts injustice in sharp relief. When laws are unjust, morality demands noncompliance. Too often, it is our students who bear the weight of the gavel. They shoulder the cost of generational complacency, and it is our job to help alleviate that burden.

We have long known what America is—and was: a nation built on violence. Despite our best efforts, our blinded eyes cannot silence the cries for justice ringing in our ears. America picked its battles, and in doing so, has allowed further oppression to flourish.

So how do we meet this moment?

First, we support our students. At our fingertips are trainings, tools, and resources. We connect students to organizations equipped to guide them.

Next, we use our power to help ensure their safety. Rather than force compliance, we call on schools to safeguard our children. We encourage compromise—balancing opportunities for dissent with potential risks. When they march, we stand as observers, encouraging safety and offering support.

We also challenge students to consider creative forms of protest. In Tinker v. Des Moines, students protested the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to school. How might today’s students draw inspiration from their predecessors?

Finally, we pursue reform at the local level. ICE does not belong near our campuses. By petitioning city councils, we advocate for ICE-free zones near campuses during school hours. We call for law enforcement reform that includes specialized protocols for engaging with minors. In the next election, we vote for candidates who see students as community members—not troublemakers. In our hands lies the power to enact lasting policies that protect our children’s right to exercise free speech.

Violence against students will not simply disappear. Our society’s bias against youth guarantees it. That bias will continue to paint student protests as disrespectful and aggressive rather than bold, lawful dissent.

Yet it is within our power to change that. If we fail to act, the cycle of state-sanctioned violence against young people will continue.

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STUDENT PROTEST CITATIONS

Woodbridge High School, VA | 303 students suspended after a walkout on 2/13/2026

East Coweta High School - Sharpsburg, GA | Three students were arrested. They may have been connected to property damage that occurred on campus.

Grand Island Senior High School | A 54-year-old man chased a student and assaulted them. Other students came to their peer’s aid. The man was arrested.

East Central High School - San Antonio, TX | Thirty students were suspended, and extracurricular activities were revoked. KSAT reported, “One student, who did not want to be named, said the school threatened to take away prom for seniors, not allow them to walk the stage, and not allow seniors to go on the senior trip if they protested.”

Mustang High School - Mustang, OK | Gov. Kevin Stitt claims that 122 students were suspended after a walkout on 2/5/2026.

Pine Forest High School - Pensacola, FL | Students were issued a three-day suspension after a walkout on February 5.

Bozeman, MT | Students were confronted by a community member at a protest on 2/1/2026

Deep Creek High School - Chesapeake, VA | Thirty students were suspended after their 2/13/2026 protest.

Clovis, CA | Clovis Police Department filed misdemeanor charges against adults who encouraged, facilitated, or organized student walkouts.

Texas | Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating three school districts after students participated in walkouts.

Lee County, FL | Dozens of students suspended after student walkouts on February 5 and 6.

North Plainfield High School - N. Plainfield, NJ | Students face a three-hour Saturday suspension for protesting.

Highland Park High School - Highland Park, NJ | Thirty to forty students left campus during a school-sanctioned protest. The students received a one-day suspension.

Southport High School - Southport, IN | On February 2, students were suspended after a student-led protest.

Boswell High School - Fort Worth, TX | According to the school district, students, “could face additional disciplinary action aside from in-school suspension, like out-of-school suspension, and loss of privileges such as prom attendance or walking at graduation.”

Upper Arlington High School - Upper Arlington, OH | Despite threats of disciplinary action, students in Upper Arlington continue to protest.

Leesburg High School - Leesburg, FL | Dozens of Leesburg students faced suspension of up to 10 days.

Wilson High School - Spring Township, PA | Students faced disciplinary action following a protest on February 18.

Grand Junction High School - Grand Junction, CO | Student athletes were unable to participate in athletic competitions due to their participation in the strike on January 30.