MCLENNAN COUNTY, Texas — A Waco teacher was fired after helping students make signs for an ICE protest walkout. He says he stands by his decision to support their rights.
- Steve Gaines, an English teacher at Harmony School of Innovation Waco, was fired a month after students in his class held a walkout protesting ICE.
- Gaines helped students make signs from cardboard boxes and paint during class time, and said he did not receive guidance from the principal to stay out of the protest until 3rd period.
- Harmony School of Innovation Waco declined to comment on the specifics of Gaines' termination, citing privacy and confidentiality policies.
- Gaines, who has 11 years of classroom experience, says he takes responsibility for missing instruction time but believes his firing was a disproportionate consequence and stands by his decision to support his students.
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BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A Waco teacher says he was fired after helping his students prepare signs and flyers for a school walkout protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He believes he did the right thing.
Steve Gaines was an English teacher at Harmony School of Innovation Waco until he was let go a month after students held a walkout protesting ICE in February. Gaines said it started when students in his class asked him for supplies to make signs.
"I didn't have markers or poster board, but I did have some old cardboard boxes that we cut into signs, you know, sizes, and I had some paints that I had bought from a previous, you know, craft assignment in class, and I let them paint signs," Gaines said.
Gaines said during first period, students made signs, and during 2nd period, students created flyers. He said it was not until 3rd period that school staff received a message from the principal telling teachers not to engage in the protest.
"My only input at that point was that the United States Constitution, the First Amendment says that you have a right to peacefully protest and petition your government," Gaines said.
A few days later, Gaines says Harmony staff were sent another email with further instruction on how to handle protest and walkouts.
Gaines said that soon after the protest, he was asked to provide a statement on his involvement. Weeks later, he was let go.
When 25 News' Dominique Leh reached out to Harmony School of Innovation Waco for information on Gaines' termination, the school said that while it does not comment on personnel matters, it "must respect the privacy and confidentiality of current and former employees." The school added, "We continue to remain focused on supporting our students and staff."
Gaines, who has 11 years of classroom experience and was in his second year teaching at Harmony, said he takes responsibility for missing instruction time that day, but believes the punishment did not fit the situation.
"I do take responsibility for missing the curriculum for that day. But, you know, the consequence seems disproportionate," Gaines said.
Still, Gaines says there are some lessons you can't learn from a textbook.
"There are some lessons that we learned at school that are not in the textbook, and I think that a teacher's number one goal is not to teach them where commas go, but it's to teach students, young people to become well-rounded adults," Gaines said.
Gaines said he stayed in his classroom during the walkout with students who chose not to participate. He said he thought he would at least be able to finish out the school year, but students will most likely be left with a substitute teacher for the remainder of the year.
"Despite what the school said, it's kind of your right as an American citizen," Gaines said.
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