Report on Oakland High students and the Secret Service

On April 23rd, two Oakland High School students were interrogated by the Secret Service separately for over an hour. 10th grade English teacher Sandy Whitney called the Secret Service, after she heard the students saying what she interpreted to be remarks that threatened the life of President George Bush, during a classroom discussion about the war on Iraq. Students were alleged to have said "Bush is whack."

The students were interrogated without the presence of a lawyer. The school did not notify their parents for almost two weeks. When the parents, who are of South East Asian dissent, did meet with the school, language appropriate translators were not provided.

During the interrogation, the students, whose identities have not been disclosed to the press, claim that the Secret Service threatened them and their entire family with deportation.

While this specific incident happened two months ago, it is indicative of a larger trend in this country, and particularly when concerning youth activists. Throughout the country there have been reports of students being penalized for wearing certain tee-shirts, wanting to start or join particular clubs, distributing anti-war literature, or participating in various anti-war activities.

This report includes the voices of Oakland High School teachers, a lawyer from the Asian Law Caucus who is representing the students, and a volunteer youth organizer with Not In Our Name.