Tulsa School Board Member Defends Controversial Comments on Immigrant Students。
TULSA, Okla. — E’lena Ashley, a member of the Tulsa Public Schools (TPS) board, is standing firm on her statements suggesting that immigrant students pose a threat to public schools. She reiterated her views during a recent meeting with constituents and at a gathering of the Tulsa County Men’s Republican Club.
During the October 9 meeting, Ashley expressed her concerns, stating, “We don’t know their agenda, we don’t know their language, and we don’t know what they have in mind for our classrooms. Many of these students may have never been in a classroom and might not respect a female teacher.”
Ashley attributed her concerns to conversations with parents and school staff but did not provide specific instances to support her claims. The only case she mentioned was the arrest of a student in Moore, who was reportedly involved in a terrorist plot on Election Day.
“I am worried because we do not understand the motivations of individuals from different cultures,” Ashley remarked. She represents schools in east Tulsa, notably East Central High School, which has a student population that is over 90% minority, with 58.7% identifying as Hispanic.
Ashley stressed the importance of addressing her security concerns promptly, stating, “These young people are not vetted, and they have access to our children. However, as a public school, we cannot ask about someone’s citizenship status when they enter our classrooms.”
At the last TPS board meeting, Leeanne Jimenez, Vice President of the Tulsa Classroom Teachers Association, challenged Ashley’s remarks. “Our district has 11,000 multilingual students. Of those, 7,252—65%—were born in the U.S., and all students have a birth certificate or proof of birth on file at TPS, generally provided at enrollment,” Jimenez noted.
She emphasized that teachers have not reported any issues regarding immigrant students. “We represent more than two-thirds of the teachers in Tulsa Public Schools, and none have reached out to me expressing fear about immigrant students,” Jimenez stated.
Ashley clarified that her concerns are not rooted in race. America is built on immigration, and that is what makes us strong. However, I believe that unvetted migration poses a danger,” she explained.
Jimenez pointed out that TPS has protocols to address security issues. “Concerns should be handled through TPS rather than publicly discussing unverified claims that often come from larger organizations,” she advised.
Ashley mentioned her goal of identifying “vetted” immigrants, defining this as students who are in the U.S. legally. However, a 1982 U.S. Supreme Court ruling determined that states cannot deny students access to public education based on immigration status.
Ashley has scheduled another community meeting for her constituents in January. FOX23 will provide updates as the meeting date approaches.
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