Students who were removed from a Washington, D.C., museum for wearing pro-life T-shirts have finally achieved a victory. According to a report from the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), the organization was assured that such a situation would not be allowed to develop again.
The ACLJ’s objective in the mediation was to find out who was responsible for the targeting, how and why it happened, and to ensure that something like this does not happen again. The organization achieved just that as detailed in documents filed with the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
The National Archives’ Chief of Management outlined the investigation conducted into the targeting of the students. The investigation concluded that a security guard hired by NARA and employed by Allied Universal was responsible for the targeting. Steps were taken by NARA officials to ensure this doesn’t happen again and additional training has been provided to security officers.
The official investigation into the targeting is documented in a report released by NARA and conducted by security for NARA, Allied Universal. Much of the ‘who,’ ‘what,’ and ‘how’ is documented by Allied in this report.
Last winter, during the annual March for Life, students were trying to visit some of Washington’s museums. Several government institutions targeted pro-lifers, kicking them out or forcing them to remove or cover up pro-life attire in violation of their First Amendment free speech rights.
The ACLJ promptly sued the NARA “for targeting pro-life visitors,” and the federal agency immediately agreed to an injunction to halt the harassment and sought mediation. Ironically, the National Archives is the home of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights, commonly referred to as the ‘Charters of Freedom.’
On January 20, 2023, a grandmother, a law student, and a high school student at a Catholic school visited the National Archives at different times that day to view these documents. Each of them was told by armed guards to take off their religious, pro-life apparel or leave the museum. The security officer claimed the apparel would “incite others.”
The National Archives will pay each of the clients a monetary sum in acknowledgment of the violation of their rights and the harm caused to them. The clients will also be granted special access to security video of the events that transpired at the National Archives on the day in question to confirm for themselves certain representations that have been made by NARA officials.
Additionally, the NARA has entered into a Consent Order and is ‘ENJOINED’ from prohibiting visiting members of the public to NARA facilities from wearing attire containing religious and political speech. This victory is a significant achievement for the students who were unfairly targeted for expressing their beliefs.
