Right to Wear Pro-Life T-Shirt in School Challenged



Ann Arbor, Michigan — The Thomas More Law Center has sent a demand letter to school officials in upstate New York on behalf of a public high school student who was ordered by school officials to remove her sweatshirt that displays the words “Abortion is Homicide” on the front and the words “You will not silence my message. You will not mock my God. You will stop killing my generation.” on the back.

The pro-life student had worn the sweatshirt on a number of occasions to

high school this school year without disrupting the workings of the school

and without interfering with the rights of other students. She had received only positive comments from fellow students about the shirt.

On Friday, September 14, 2001, however, a school official told her that she had to put on a different shirt or go home because the sweatshirt was “offensive.” The girl was placed in in-school suspension until her father

came to school. The girl, who was visibly upset over the matter, went

home rather than wear a different shirt to school that day.

According to Richard Thompson, the Thomas More Law Center's Chief Counsel,

“It is outrageous that the high school is attempting to silence this girl's pro-life message, while other students are permitted to wear shirts to that same school advertising beer companies and rock bands such as Marilyn Manson. The only thing 'offensive' in this case is the school's restriction of the girl's free speech rights.”

The Thomas More Law Center's five-page letter explains the student's

clearly established constitutional right to wear her pro-life clothing and

demands that the school take immediate action and provide written assurance that the girl will be permitted to wear her “Abortion is Homicide” sweatshirt to school. Should the school disregard this demand and continue to violate the student's rights, the Thomas More Law Center is prepared to seek appropriate relief in federal court at no charge to

the girl and her family.


(This article courtesy of the Pro-Life Infonet email newsletter. For more information or to subscribe go to www.prolifeinfo.org or email infonet@prolifeinfo.org.)

Subscribe to CE
(It's free)

Go to Catholic Exchange homepage

MENU