In Missouri, Zombie Posters Trump Pro-Life Messages in Public Schools

Author: ADF President, CEO, and General Counsel Alan Sears

Missouri may be famous as the “Show Me” state, but there are some things public school administrators there would prefer go unseen.

A student at Dixon High School learned that last fall when she put up posters promoting the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity in some high-traffic areas of her campus. The school district has always allowed that kind of publicity before, encouraging students, student groups, and community organizations to post fliers, drawings, and other materials “in areas of the school which are generally frequented by students.” In the same vein, Dixon administrators have traditionally allowed students to make P.A. announcements at designated times to promote upcoming activities and opportunities of interest to students.

Such communications have been allowed because, according to district policy, “student expression regarding a variety of topics may be beneficial to the District’s educational mission,” including “discussion and debate regarding serious issues.” In recent years, that policy has been used to justify posters with political and anti-drug messages, posters and announcements promoting the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network’s Day of Silence, even photos of students edited to look like bloody zombies…

…and – until last year – posters and announcements promoting the Pro-Life Day of Silent Solidarity. Last October, though, when this student put up her posters and asked to make a public address announcement, officials tore down her artwork (calling the subject matter “offensive”) and denied her request.

“What is ‘offensive’ is the double standard here,” says ADF Litigation Counsel Matt Sharp. “Public school officials cannot pick and choose what messages they are going to allow based on which viewpoints they prefer. ADF has litigated numerous cases similar to this one, and the law and the Constitution are clearly on the side of our client here as well.”

With that in mind, Alliance Defense Fund attorneys filed suit against the Dixon R-1 School District on February 14 on behalf of the student.

“All students should have the freedom to express their beliefs,” says ADF Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “Pro-life students have a positive and valuable message that school officials should welcome, not censor. Public schools are more likely to succeed when they allow for the free exchange of ideas.”

Douglas Fredrick, one of nearly 2,100 attorneys in the ADF alliance, is serving as local counsel in the case. Please be in prayer for him, and for all our ADF attorneys as they rigorously defend the rights of Christian students coast to coast to hear and speak the Truth.

This post originally appeared here.