Riverhead schools ‘stand in defiance’ of any initiative — ‘regardless of source’ — that threatens students’ safety

The Riverhead Central School District has notified the community it will strictly adhere to New York State guidance that “immigration enforcement actions cannot occur on school grounds without proper legal documentation.” 

The statement came two days after the Trump administration announced it was ending a ban in place since 2011 against federal immigration agencies making arrests at schools, churches and hospitals.

In a letter to the school community sent out through the district’s Parent Square communications app and posted on the district website this afternoon, the district said it would adhere to the state guidance “in the strictest sense” and would call on its “legal counsel to affirm the validity of any supposed legal documentation brought to the District by any federal agency before we commit to compliance.”

The letter was signed by Board of Education President James Scudder and Interim Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich.

“To address the serious concerns raised by the new White House executive orders, the Riverhead School District is taking pre-emptive steps to support our students and their families,” the letter said. “We are providing resources to help families understand their rights. We are bringing in our legal counsel on how to respond appropriately to the challenges that might arise relative to our immigrant student population, including the potential of ICE officers appearing at our schools’ doorsteps,” Scudder and Pedisich wrote.  

“We are also reviewing and hardening, where necessary, our policies to protect the privacy of student information. Under no circumstances will personally identifiable student information be disclosed without proper legal justification, and only then with the approval of our District’s legal counsel. We are committed to remaining steadfast and vigilant in upholding these protections.”

The district is “deeply committed” to ensuring that its schools “remain a safe and secure haven for all its students “regardless of their immigration status,” the letter said.

The district is a majority-Hispanic district according data provided to RiverheadLOCAL by district officials, which show that 66% of its student body is Hispanic.

“We realize the new administration’s changes in federal immigration policies, including the potential for immigration enforcement in our schools, have understandably caused great concern within our Riverhead community,” the officials wrote. 

Noemi Sanchez, Long Island Regional Coordinator at Rural and Migrant Ministry in Riverhead, said President Donald Trump’s executive orders and the announcement that schools, churches and hospitals would no longer be exempt from immigration enforcement actions has created an atmosphere of fear in the local community.

“A lot of people have fear, a lot of them,” Sanchez said in a phone interview tonight.

“Some parents are not sending their children to school. They think it’s safer to keep them home, she said.

“There are a lot of rumors of ICE being seen in the community, but they are false,”  Sanchez said. “None have been confirmed. We are telling people don’t share this information if not confirmed.”

“As educators entrusted with the safety of your children while in our classrooms and on our school grounds, we fully accept that our foremost responsibility is to create a secure and supportive environment where every child can learn, grow, and thrive without fear,” Scudder and Pedisich wrote.  “Our schools are not just centers for education; they should be trusted spaces where our students and their families feel protected, respected, and valued. We believe that any action that disrupts or interferes in any way with this sanctity undermines our educational mission and promise to our students, their families and our community,” they wrote.

A Riverhead parent who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of concern for her family’s safety, said her 11-year-old son is afraid for his friends. She said hers is not an immigrant family but they live in an immigrant community. These children are his friends. He goes to school with them and plays with them in the neighborhood. 

“On Nov. 6, he was very, very concerned. ‘They are going to come and take my friends now. They are going to have to leave,’ he said. He heard schools are not safe anymore since this came down,” she said.

“This is a huge disruption to his education.”

New York State law and federal protections guarantee the right to a free public education for all children, regardless of citizenship or immigration status, according to the district officials. 

“These laws reaffirm that our schools must serve as places of inclusion and safety, contrary to whatever executive orders may be issued from the White House,” Scudder and Pedisich wrote. 

“We are also cooperating with our state leaders to ensure that our District policies and procedures align with best practices for safeguarding our immigrant students,” they wrote. 

“The Riverhead School District will always stand in defiance of any initiative, regardless of its source, that threatens the safety and well-being of any of our students. We will continue to advocate for our students and defend their absolute right to an education free from harassment, intimidation, or fear-mongering. It is our sacred vow to ensure that every child in our care feels safe, supported, and respected,” they wrote.