CARMEL, Ind. -- The ACLU of Indiana is suing Carmel Clay Schools on behalf of a pro-choice student group that says it wasn’t allowed to post signs around the high school, when an anti-abortion group was allowed to post its signs.
The group, Voices United, says its viewpoint was discriminated against in violation of the First Amendment.
The anti-abortion group, Carmel Teens for Life, threatened to sue the school in December when administrators took down an anti-abortion poster. The group was eventually allowed to hang the posters for 10 days, but Carmel schools also changed its policy, limiting signs to announcing the date, time and location.
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Voices United claims it reached out to school administrators, asking to hang its signs, but was denied. According to the lawsuit, the administrators said an exception was given to Teens for Life that wouldn’t be given to Voices United.
The anti-abortion group wants to be able to hang its signs for 10 days, according to the lawsuit.
Dr. Nicholas Wahl, superintendent of Carmel Clay Schools, released the following statement:
New signage rules for student clubs at Carmel High School were implemented January 3rd. These rules, as well as the approval process, have been very clearly communicated to both students and club sponsors and are posted online where they are easily accessible to all involved. Voices United didn't become a student club until February 28th and has still not completed the necessary requirements to post signs in the high school - including the submission of a club logo and the draft of a proposed sign. It is our responsibility to enforce these new signage rules equitably among our more than 150 student clubs at the high school.
Read the lawsuit below. If it doesn't load, click here.
