THIS."
SOME FARGO HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS
SAY THEY'VE BEEN
DENIED THEIR FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS AFTER THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
SEGREGATED THEIR CLUB. GOOD
EVENING.. THANKS FOR JOINING US.
THE STUDENTS - WHO GO TO FARGO
NORTH AND DAVIES HIGH
SCHOOLS - WANTED TO START UP
PRO- LIFE CLUBS.
BUT... THEY SAY THE SCHOOL HAS
TOLD THEM "NO".
VALLEY NEWS TEAM'S "MAECY ENGER"
JOINS US NOW TO EXPLAIN
WHY.. AND TELL US WHAT THE
STUDENTS ARE DOING.
MAECY??
MIKE AND STEPHANE ..THE STUDENTS
HAVE AN ATTORNEY,
WHO HAS CONTACTED THE DISTRICT,
HOPING FOR A CHANGE OF
HEART.
THE ATTORNEY SAYS THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT DIDN'T WANT TO
LOOK AS IF IT WAS TAKING A
STANCE ON THE ISSUE....AND THAT
THE
DISTRICT ALREADY RECOGNIZES A
GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE GROUP,
WHICH IS JUST AS
CONTROVERSIAL.
"1-2-3-4 THIS IS WHAT WE'RE
FIGHTING FOR."
"WE WERE INSPIRED WHILE AT THE
MARCH OF
LIFE IN WASHINGTON D-C." BRIGID
O'KEEFE IS A SOPHMORE AT NORTH
HIGH SCHOOL.
WHEN SHE RETURNED TO SCHOOL
AFTER THE TRIP, O'KEEFE QUICKLY
ACTED ON HER IDEA TO START A
PRO-LIFE CLUB.
BUT IT WAS SHORT-LIVED. "THEY
INITIALLY DENIED OUR REQUEST."
WHEN SHE AND OTHER STUDENTS
PROTESTED ... THE SCHOOL
SENT IT TO THE DISTRICT WHO
LABELED THE CLUB "AN
OUTSIDE AGENCY" "THE FIRST
FEELING WAS
JUST THIS GENERAL UNEASE LIKE UH
THIS
DOESN'T SOUND RIGHT."
"WE GET A ROOM FOR AN HOUR TO
MEET AND
THAT'S IT ... AND WE'RE
DISCOURAGED FROM
PUTTING UP A LOT OF FLYERS AND
INTERACTING
WITH THE STUDENTS."
THAT'S WHEN STUDENTS FOR LIFE OF
AMERICA STEPPED IN AND
REACHED OUT TO THE THOMAS MORE
SOCIETY .. A NATIONAL LAW
FIRM.
THE FIRM SENT A LETTER TO THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT ASKING OFFICIALS
TO TREAT THE CLUB AS ANY
OTHER GROUP.
"THEY HAVE PERMITTED A GAY
STRAIGHT
ALLIANCE AT EACH OF THESE
SCHOOLS AND
AGAIN REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU
STAND ON
THE ISSUE THESE ARE THE
CONTRAVERSIAL HOT
BUTTON ISSUES OF OUR DAY AND IT
IS
IMPORTANT FOR THE STUDENTS TO BE
EXPOSED AND START THINKING AND
TALKING ABOUT THEM AT THIS AGE
SO IT'S
INTERESTING THAT THEY ALLOWED
THOSE AND
WHEN IT CAME TO THE QUESTION OF
LIFE
DECIDED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE
A
STANCE."
"DO YOU FEEL LIKE ITS INFRIGING
ON YOUR
RIGHTS?" "YES" "WHY'S THAT?"
"WELL
WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO FREE SPEECH
WITHIN
OUR SCHOOL."
SOMETHING O'KEEFE AND OTHER
STUDENTS SAY THEY HOPE
THE SCHOOL LOOKS AT WHEN MAKING
A FINAL DECISION.
WITH REGARD TO THE DISTRICT'S
SUPPORT OF THE
GAY-STRAIGHT ALLIANCE GROUP,
WHICH THE DISTRICT
RECOGNIZES, A NORTH HIGH
PRINCIPAL IS SAID TO HAVE TOLD
STUDENTS THAT ITS LEGALLY
PROTECTED, WHERE THE PRO-LIFE
GROUP IS NOT.
WE ASKED FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH
THE FARGO SCHOOL
DISTRICT......THEY TOLD US THEY
WANTED TO TALK WITH THEIR
ATTORNEY FIRST.
A BRIEF STATEMENT WAS
RELEASED SAYING THE DISTRICT IS
TAKING THE LETTER SERIOUSLY AND
HAS SENT IT ON TO THE SCHOOLS
ATTORNEY.
NO TIME TABLE WAS GIVEN FOR A
RESPONSE.
WE TRIED CONTACTING THE
ATTORNEY, WHO DIDN'T RETURN
OUR CALL.
THE ATTORNEY FOR THE STUDENTS
ASKED TO HAVE A STATEMENT FROM
THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BY NEXT
FRIDAY. VALLEY NEWS LIVE HAS
ALSO
ASKED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR
E-MAILS RELATED TO THIS ISSUE
AND WILL CONTINUE TO
INVESTIGATE AND FOLLOW ANY
DEVELOPMENTS.
