A SCHOOL nurse was reassigned after allegedly wearing a jacket labeled “ICE” on the back during “Superhero Day,” which caused outrage among parents and school officials.
The nurse worked at Northwest Elementary School in Amityville, Long Island, New York, and allegedly wore the jacket on school grounds on Wednesday.
“The Amityville Union Free School District is aware of an allegation involving a district staff member who affixed an acronym to their clothing that was perceived by some members of the school community as offensive or inappropriate in the educational setting,” stated a statement from the school district.
Upon learning about the incident, the nurse was “immediately reassigned” to a non-school environment, pending an investigation, according to the statement.
“Our top priority is to ensure that our schools remain safe, inclusive, and welcoming spaces for all students and families.”
The statement didn’t explicitly say what acronym was on the nurse’s clothing; however, the Amityville Teachers‘ Association president, Nakia Wolfe, confirmed to Newsday that the letters spelled out “ICE.”
Wolfe told the outlet that the employee was a nurse at the elementary school and the incident happened on the same day as a moving-up ceremony for the kindergartners.
The nurse’s name wasn’t given, but Wolfe did condemn their behavior, saying it has no place at the school.
“Why would you come into a setting of learning to make any type of political stance like that?” Wolfe said.
“It’s just completely inappropriate.”
Hilda Brown, a teacher at the elementary school, shared that the nurse wore the jacket while the school was hosting “Superhero Day,” where students come in dressed as their favorite hero.
Some parents who picked up their kids on the day of the alleged incident shared their reaction to the claims with News 12 Long Island.
“That’s utterly disgusting. This is the world we’re living in now?” said Marquise Gordon.
“We got kids that’s just trying to get their education,” Gordon continued.
“How dare you show up to a school in that type of, and set that type of precedent, knowing what’s going on in the world right now?”
Another parent, Jackie Sauls, said, “People are already fearful as it is. There’s no right in that.”
TENSIONS RISING
The incident comes as protests have sprung across the country condemning ICE in major cities over the past week.
In New York City, over 86 demonstrators were arrested by the NYPD at a rally in Lower Manhattan on Tuesday.
In Long Island, there’s been an uptick in ICE activity across Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Multiple people were taken into custody by ICE agents in Glen Cove, about 30 miles outside of NYC, on Wednesday morning, according to Detective Lt. John Nagle.
“ICE New York City is actively investigating immigration crimes throughout the five boroughs, Long Island, and the lower Hudson Valley,” an ICE spokesperson told News 12 Long Island.
Small anti-ICE protests have happened across Long Island since Sunday in several counties as a response.
