Cincinnati Public Schools says two out-of-town law enforcement officers claiming to be working on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) visited three of the district's schools Wednesday morning to conduct "wellness checks" on several students believed to be enrolled at CPS.
District Superintendent Shauna Murphy told reporters Thursday that these officers attempted to enter Western Hills High School and two elementary schools, Rees E. Price Academy and Roberts Academy, all on Cincinnati's West Side.
Data from the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce shows all three schools have a high percentage of Hispanic students and students learning English.
Murphy identified one of the officers as Village of Gratis Police Chief Tonina Lamanna. Gratis is located in the Dayton area and is about an hour drive from Cincinnati.
Superintendent Murphy and the district's General Counsel Daniel Hoying say officers did not present any legal warrants or interact with any students. The two praised staff for taking action and following protocol to ensure student safety.
"[The officers] identified their need as being there for a wellness check. I don't know what to them a 'wellness check' means, and our staff didn't bother for that interpretation. They asked them to leave," Murphy said.
According to the school district, the Gratis police officers did not provide further details to staff in each of the buildings about why they were there and who they were looking for. Only later did the officers confirm to Superintendent Murphy they were working for ICE.
Mayor Pureval reacts
The vague details from the officers have sparked concern within the school district and with local leaders. Cincinnati Mayor Aftab Pureval took to social media to comment on the situation.
"As a CPS parent I am disgusted by the incomprehensible actions of the Gratis Police Chief," Pureval wrote. "It is patently ridiculous and inexcusable that a police chief from a small town an hour from here would come into our City’s public schools unannounced, let alone do so allegedly at ICE’s request, to intimidate our children and their families. Stay out of Cincinnati."
Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey added that she's working to figure out exactly what happened.
“I am very aware of the incident that occurred yesterday at Cincinnati Public Schools, and the concerns around that type of attempted federal enforcement. I am communicating with federal and state partners to ensure that guidelines and policies are followed. I am working in collaboration with Cincinnati Police to monitor and identify current ICE policies and/or actions," McGuffey wrote.
WVXU contacted Chief Lamanna for comment, but she declined. ICE did not immediately respond to WVXU's request for comment.
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