Families at a sought-after elementary school in Washington, D.C. are increasingly concerned about the construction of a new abortion clinic next to the school.
However, the Two Rivers Public Charter School filing a lawsuit against a pro-life group protesting the construction of the abortion facility near the school instead.
The Washington Post reports that the elementary school filed the lawsuit Wednesday, alleging that protesters are harassing students in their efforts to stop construction of the new “flagship” Planned Parenthood abortion facility.
“Our top priority is to provide a high-quality, joyful educational environment for our children, and we cannot do this if they do not feel safe,” Jessica Wodatch, the school’s executive director, told families in a letter Wednesday.
Wodatch told parents in her letter that they should not jump to conclusions about the lawsuit and the school’s position on abortion.
“We are a diverse community with different viewpoints on the issue,” she wrote. “Our students are caught up in a controversy that is not about them — our goal is to allow them safe passage to school.”
Click here to sign up for pro-life news alerts from LifeNews.com
Protesters allegedly told students “they kill kids next door” and waved signs with graphic photos of aborted babies, the report states. Protesters also allegedly called the abortion facility a “baby killing center” in front of families and crowded the school’s drop-off lane and followed families around the school, according to the report.
The school said in the lawsuit that teachers keep students inside during recess and some parents are fearful as a result of the protesters.
One of the school administrators received an email in November from one of the protesters, asking if the school planned to take a stand against the abortion clinic, the news report states.
“I’m sure you don’t want to see me, my anti-abortion friends and our graphic images any more than we want to be in your neighborhood,” the email said.
Jonathan Darnel, a protester named in the lawsuit, told the news outlet that the school should be going after the abortion giant, which aborts more babies than any other group in the U.S.
“We blame the messenger instead of the message,” Darnel said. “They should be filing a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood for moving in there and building this place next to their school.”
SIGN THE PETITION! Congress Must De-Fund Planned Parenthood Immediately
Some parents also have voiced their concerns about the abortion facility moving in directly next to the elementary school and across from a middle school, LifeNews previously reported.
Two Rivers parent Jonathan Owen asked: “Does anyone really believe placing a Planned Parenthood facility literally between two schools is a wise decision for the safety of our children? Protests at abortion facilities are very heated, personal, and can turn physically violent.” He added that the new abortion clinic will stir high emotions, especially for those who have children at Two Rivers and are pro-life.
The school said in the lawsuit that it wants to keep protesters away from the students and the entrance to the school at the beginning and end of the school day, according to the lawsuit.
“It also asks that protesters refrain from showing posters with graphic images or words such as ‘kill’ and ‘murder’ in a ‘manner reasonably likely to be viewed by children under 12 years of age.’” according to the newspaper.
Of course, Planned Parenthood believes their clinic will do just fine with the schools close by. Its president and chief executive, Laura Meyers, said they have other clinics located near schools in other parts of the country and that they “enjoy a strong partnership.” She even mentioned that their “educators” work with many middle and high schools to teach kids on “reproductive health.”
However, parents have indicated in the past that they don’t want Planned Parenthood teaching their children about sex because their materials are often inappropriate for children. In 2014, Live Action release a video of Planned Parenthood employees telling girls that “stop,” really doesn’t always mean, “stop” and encouraging young teen females to participate in sado-masochistic sexual activities, including gagging, whipping, asphyxiation, shopping at sex stores, and viewing pornography.
Additionally, the abortion giant has published multiple “resources” for children and teenagers concerning sexual activity. These materials claim to provide “age appropriate” sex education to children starting at age four. Planned Parenthood justifies starting sex-education at such a young age by stating, “Ideally, medical accurate sexuality education would be taught each year in our schools from pre-kindergarten to 12th grade.”
As LifeNews previously reported, a Catholic-owned construction company called Pizzano Contractors, Inc. is building this particular Planned Parenthood facility, located in the 1200 block of Fourth St., NE. Pizzano Contractors, Inc, is headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, and they said in a video ad that they are a “family business.”
