Quakertown police chief faces calls for suspension after student protest incident

Quakertown police chief faces calls for suspension after student protest incident

Community members in Quakertown Borough are calling for the suspension of the police chief following an incident at a student anti-ICE protest, with the school district and police responding to concerns about safety, transparency, and the handling of the event.

QUAKERTOWN, Pa. - Community members packed a Quakertown Borough council meeting Monday as calls grew for the suspension of Police Chief Scott McElree after a confrontation during a student protest last week.

Community demands action after protest confrontation

What we know:

Some parents and a group called Upper Bucks United are calling for Chief McElree’s suspension after parents say he put a 15-year-old student in a chokehold during a student walkout protesting ICE on Friday, Feb. 20.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office is investigating the chief’s actions, according to officials. 

Parents and community members at the meeting said they want more transparency from both the police and the school district.

The Quakertown Police Department said officers responded Friday when some demonstration participants engaged in what they called disruptive and unsafe behavior, including damaging property.

Quakertown Community High School had tried to cancel the walkout, but some students still participated.

School district addresses safety and aftermath

In a message to parents, Acting Superintendent Dr. Lisa Hoffman said the district met with student organizers before the walkout to discuss alternative ways to demonstrate free speech without disrupting the school day. 

The district does not endorse or facilitate student walkouts during school hours, Hoffman said.

Administrators and student organizers agreed to a route in front of the high school for safety, and Quakertown Police were informed to provide security presence. 

However, on Friday, Feb. 20, about 35 students left campus and moved through town, which was not part of the planned route, according to Hoffman.

Once students left school grounds, the district said it no longer had legal authority over their actions. 

Administrators were not on the scene in the borough and were not involved in any arrests, Hoffman said.

The district is working with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit to provide counseling support for students and staff. 

Hoffman said, "Regardless of differing perspectives about what occurred, we are committed to listening, supporting students and staff who may need to process what happened, and ensuring that everyone feels safe within our schools."

The district said it has reported threats received by staff to law enforcement.

The district said it will continue to communicate with the school community and provide updates as more information becomes available.

‘Protect Quakertown students’ petition

Organizers are calling for a thorough, transparent, and public investigation into the incident in a Change.org petition. 

"When minors are involved, the standard for restraint and professionalism must be higher, not lower," the petition read. "Public trust depends on clear rules and accountability when those rules are questioned."

The petition demands the following: 

• A fully independent, publicly reported investigation into the police response
• Administrative leave for any officer directly involved in the physical altercations pending the outcome of the investigation
• A prohibition on chokeholds or similar restraint tactics against minors
• A requirement that officers involved in crowd control or protest response wear clearly visible identification
• Clear written guidelines for handling student protests without excessive force

What we don't know:

The district said it does not have additional information about arrests or the ongoing investigation. 

The outcome of the Bucks County District Attorney’s investigation has not been released.