Mo. School Censors Pro-Life Posters, Leaves Zombie Posters Up
The Alliance Defense Fund is filing suit on behalf of a Missouri student whose pro-life posters were taken down at school while other posters including ones with graphic depictions of zombies were allowed to remain.
Officials at Dixon High School in Dixon, Mo., took down posters advertising the "Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity," claiming that they were offensive to some at the school.
This prompted the ADF to file suit on Tuesday on behalf of the student behind the posters.
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Matt Sharp, the ADF attorney who works at the ADF's Public School Litigation Team, told The Christian Post that this case was about the rights students should have while in school.
"We think this is an important case," said Sharp, who also believed it was "important to stand by students" who "want to express their rights" on campus.
"Time and again students find themselves being censored … when speaking from a pro-life perspective," said Sharp. "They have rights that should be protected, nourished."
Sharp found it interesting that although the school took down the pro-life posters, posters not taken down include ones showcasing students as "bloody zombies" and the school's Gay-Straight Alliance's "Day of Silence."
"Of all the posters, [the pro-life posters] are the only ones we know of that have been torn down," said Sharp, who considered the selective censorship to be a "dangerous thing."
Founded by Brian Kemper, "Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity" is a nationwide event to take place on Oct. 16 in which students will wear red duct tape with the word "LIFE" written in black.
According to the event's website, students from around 170 schools have been registered for the event, which is supported by several groups including Students For Life of America and Priests For Life.
This is not the first time ADF has come to the legal aid of pro-life students. In 2008, it filed a complaint on behalf of a pro-life student group that had been denied recognition by a California high school.
The case, J.A. v. Dixon R-1 School District, was filed at the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Southern Division.
Other lawyers involved in the case include ADF legal counsel Jeremy Tedesco and Douglas Fredrick, a local counsel affiliated with the ADF.
The Dixon R-1 School District did not comment by press time.
