Posted on 02/10/25
| News Source: Pikesville Patch
Overlea, MD - Feb. 10, 2025 - Officials are investigating whether an Overlea High School teacher offered customs agents a list of students who are living in the country illegally, reports said.
A Baltimore County Public School spokesperson declined to identify the teacher and said the educator was on leave, The Baltimore Banner reported Friday.
The Banner said an X account that can no longer be found posted this message on Feb. 3:
"Was just sent a list of students who are allowed to legally skip today in support of illegals as most are illegal. Do i contact ICE or let it slide?"
The Banner said the same account posted two days later, tagging U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and saying "We had almost 50 students at my school be legally excused to skip and support illegals protest earlier this week. All are either immigrants or kids of. If you want the names to investigate families to find illegals, let me know in dm [direct message]. I’ll give names and school. All in Md."
Students protested during lunch by chanting "We are one" in the hallways, WJZ reported.
Patch obtained a letter that Overlea High Principal Monica Sample sent to families. In the letter, Sample called it "an unsettling social media post—allegedly from an Overlea High School teacher—directed at a group of Overlea High School students."
"The statements made in the post do not represent our values as a school community and fall outside BCPS' acceptable practices and high expectations for staff members," Sample wrote. "Overlea High School administration is following all BCPS policies and procedures to investigate and address this incident and remains committed to providing all students with a safe and welcoming learning environment. We want to thank the members of our community who brought this concern to our attention."
Families also received a letter from BCPS officials Eric Knox, executive director of school safety and security, and Craig Reed, executive director of high schools.
The letter offered mental health resources to students and staff and reminded the community that they can report safety concerns to Safe Schools Maryland. It also said additional police were present during Friday dismissal to ensure the safety of all students.
"We believe that by working together, we will further the vision of Overlea High School being 'One Team, One Family, One Vision,'" Knox and Reed wrote. "We also encourage parents and families to engage in an open dialogue with their students."
ICE has not responded to Patch's request for comment.
The news came after President Donald Trump ordered crackdowns on illegal immigration.
Immigration advocate CASA countered by pushing for more deportation protections in Maryland.
CASA rallied last week in Annapolis, calling for an end to immigration enforcement in sensitive locations like schools and churches, increased state database privacy protection from immigration officers and a prohibition of police departments contracting with immigration officials.
A day later, CASA celebrated a judge temporarily blocking Trump's executive order that would deny citizenship to children born to parents in the country illegally. Under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution, anybody born in the U.S. is currently granted birthright citizenship, regardless of their parents' immigration statuses.