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Auburn Today
By the People, for the People
Hero Mom Pulls Daughter From School During ICE Protest
Auburn mother Erika Franklin says she never meant to become a political lightning rod, but felt compelled to act after witnessing a chaotic scene outside her daughter's school.
Feb. 3, 2026 at 8:55pm
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Erika Franklin, an Auburn mother, went viral over the weekend after a video showed her pulling her seventh-grade daughter from Olympic Middle School during a student walkout to protest federal immigration enforcement. Franklin says she was simply following her normal pickup routine when she drove into what she describes as a chaotic, unsafe scene involving hundreds of students gathered outside the school. She says teachers and parents were involved in the protest, blocking the normal entrance, and that students singled her out and began booing her. Franklin says she felt her daughter's safety was at risk and decided to remove her from the situation.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the growing tensions around political activism in schools and the challenges parents face in ensuring their children's safety and education. Franklin's actions have sparked a debate about the appropriate role of schools in facilitating student protests and the extent to which parents should be involved in or informed about such activities.
The details
According to Franklin, she typically avoids the front of the school during pickup due to safety concerns, but on the day in question she encountered hundreds of students gathered outside. She says she tried to ask what was happening, but was met with a look indicating it was a protest. Franklin became concerned when she couldn't confirm if her daughter was among the students outside, so she parked, started filming, and attempted to enter the school, only to find the walkway completely blocked. Franklin says students then singled her out and began booing her, with some chanting anti-Trump slogans. She says the scene left her feeling targeted and fearful for her daughter's safety, prompting her to remove the child from the situation.
- On Friday, February 3, 2026, Erika Franklin went to pick up her daughter from Olympic Middle School.
The players
Erika Franklin
An Auburn mother who went viral over the weekend after a video showed her pulling her seventh-grade daughter from Olympic Middle School during a student walkout to protest federal immigration enforcement.
Olympic Middle School
The school in Auburn, Washington where the incident took place.
What they’re saying
“Staff was involved, and that's how I'm gonna comment on that. Anyone with a clear mind and a rational mind can see it.”
— Erika Franklin, Auburn mother
“The main thing I wanna emphasize is that the children that stayed in class are the real heroes. They deserve to go viral.”
— Erika Franklin, Auburn mother
What’s next
Franklin says she has been considering moving her daughter to a different school environment for some time, and this incident may be the final straw that prompts her to do so.
The takeaway
This incident highlights the challenges parents face in ensuring their children's safety and education amid growing political tensions in schools. It also raises questions about the appropriate role of schools in facilitating student protests and the extent to which parents should be involved in or informed about such activities.
