Oregon Students Protest Presence of School Resource Officers

Students from a handful of Portland Public Schools walked out of their classrooms on Wednesday to protest SROs on their campuses.

According to KATU-TV , the students say the presence of the officers makes the students feel unsafe, contribute to discrimination in school and their presence can lead to hostile and unsafe school environments.

Sophia Lucas, a senior at Jefferson High School, said during a speech outside city hall, "We as PPS students are extremely disappointed in the school board's actions and believe that police do not have a place in our schools."

She said further, "Stationing police officers in schools will further contribute to an environment of fear and distrust."