A Los Angeles high school teacher was fired for opening a campus gate to students walking out of class to join an anti-ICE protest.
Ricardo Lopez, a history teacher at Synergy Quantum Charter High School, said he unlatched the fence to prevent students from getting injured, after seeing others hurt themselves hopping over it a day earlier.
“I was just concerned about their safety,” told Fox 11. “As the closest adult to them, I just opened the gate.”
Students joined the the walkout last week — despite the school warning against skipping classes — as part of demonstrations that took place across California.
Within an hour of opening the gate, Lopez was terminated for what he says the school called “insubordination.”
He was escorted off campus and later had his belongings — including student artwork and classroom projects — dropped off in boxes at his home.
Synergy Academies confirmed to Fox 11 that Lopez is no longer employed at the school.
In a statement, the school said it respects students’ rights to express themselves but must prioritize safety and follow Los Angeles Unified School District campus access policies.
“Synergy works collaboratively with our district partners to follow the campus access and safety procedures set by LAUSD policy to ensure the safety of students from both schools,” they wrote in a statement to Fox 11. “Decisions about whether students may leave campus during the school day are made solely by school administration.”
The school added that decisions about whether students can leave campus during the school day are made “solely by school administration” in accordance with safety protocols.
Since Lopez’s firing, students and parents have rallied outside the school demanding his reinstatement, calling the punishment excessive.
A petition circulating online has garnered nearly 1,000 signature.
A GoFundMe created to support Lopez says he was “protecting students from physical harm” and argues he was punished for “choosing safety over strict protocol.”
“I just want to get back to my classroom and students,” Lopez said.
