In early 2026, social media users shared alleged evidence of students at
The claim circulated on X and Facebook, alongside purported headshots of staff members at The Portland Montessori School. Some posts included a video.
Nothing in the video, which other social media accounts reposted, indicated the use of digital editing or artificial-intelligence software.
However, the video and screenshot did not show students at The Portland Montessori School. Using Google Street View, Snopes matched a gate and rooftop garden beds in the footage to a
As such, we have rated this claim as miscaptioned.
In a Feb. 1 statement on Instagram, The Portland Montessori School (TPMS), which teaches toddlers through elementary-aged children, said the video and screenshot "do not show an organized group of TPMS community members." (After making that post, the school took down its Instagram page, as well as the rest of its public-facing social media, over safety concerns, Myers said. Snopes confirmed the authenticity of the Instagram statement via a Feb. 2 phone call with Myers.)
Here's the full statement The Portland Montessori School posted on Instagram:
🚨A claim circulating online that The Portland Montessori School organized or led a protest involving students and staff is false.
TPMS did not organize, sanction, or participate in any protest or political activity. There were no field trips or school-led events, and students and staff were at school as usual.
Photos/videos being shared do not show an organized group of TPMS community members. We are sharing this to correct the record and prevent misinformation.
The school's legal counsel, Jollee Patterson, declined to answer whether headshots circulating with the screenshot from the video legitimately showed the school's teachers, citing privacy concerns. (Myers said later the school removed staff pages from its website in light of the public attention.)
What we know about the footage
A reverse image search determined that the screenshot came from a TikTok video posted by the account @pdx.bri. We reached out to that account to learn more about the footage but did not immediately hear back. As of this writing, the video was no longer viewable on that profile.
Some social media posts simply said the video showed students at "a Montessori school in Portland" protesting ICE, without specifically naming The Portland Montessori School.
Two AI-detection tools, Hive Moderation and Sight Engine, also determined that a screenshot from the video of the children holding signs outside had a 0% likelihood of being generated by artificial intelligence. (These tools are not foolproof.)
However, there's nothing to indicate the students were protesting ICE. It's unclear what the students' signs say. The actual school in question did not return Snopes' request for more information.
Myers said in a Feb. 3 phone call that he has reached out to that school, asking for help to clarify the situation, and has yet to hear back.
Myers' school was targeted by the rumor because the original video — and subsequent screenshots — included text reading, "Our local Portland Montessori participating in the ICE shutdown," apparently referencing a national protest against ICE on Jan. 30, 2026. Many