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Student Allowed to Speak Freely in School

Tuesday 06th of February 2007 07:50:48 PM

A Michigan, USA middle school student was told by school officials to stop handing out literature that spoke out against abortion and to take off his Sweatshirts, which had anti-abortion writing on it. The boy was prohibited to rejoin other students at the school until the Sweatshirts was removed and he changed into another shirt.

The student was participating in “Pro-life Day of Silent Solidarity”, which is a day reserved for students who are against abortion.

Outraged, lawyers from the Allied Defense Fund, which handles cases protecting the right to protest abortion in public places, took the case to court where a judge ruled that the student should not have been forced to remove his Sweatshirts or stop passing out literature just because his viewpoint was not a popular one.

According to the United States constitution, which includes the first amendment right, people are allowed to say whatever they feel like as long as it does not immediately endanger the lives of others. The judge ruled that students should be allowed to share in the right to free speech regardless of whether they are on school grounds or not.

ADF attorney Delia van Loenen said of the ruling, “Students simply do not sacrifice their First Amendment right to free speech once they enter the schoolhouse door. We are glad that this judge acted swiftly and decisively to protect and affirm not only this student's speech, but that of other students as well.”

This student and others will be allowed to demonstrate on school grounds in a peaceful way and hand out literature and wear sweatshirts if they choose. Other students in similar situations in other states have also had to file suits over the years in order to protest or demonstrate what they believe in also. The Allied Defense Fund has taken several of these cases to trial.

(c)margan zajdowicz, www.sxc.hu