Students Mark National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day, Law Firm Ready to Help

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Apr 27, 2004   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Students Mark National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day, Law Firm Ready to Help

by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
April 27, 2004

Ann Arbor, MI (LifeNews.com) — Today, pro-life students from across the country will mark the second annual "National Pro-Life T-Shirt Day." If they face any pressure or threats from school administrators to remove their t-shirts, a Michigan-based pro-life law firm is ready to help.

Students across the country last year brought the pro-life message to junior high and high schools, but some school officials have made it tough for students to express their First Amendment rights. Administrators in some cases have claimed the shirts cause a disruption to the normal school process.

But Richard Thompson, top attorney at the Michigan-based Thomas More Law Center, says students will have free legal help any time they need it to defend their rights.

"Pro-life students from across the country are standing up for the rights of the unborn, and are bringing this message to their schools," Thompson said. "We are proud to defend these courageous pro-life students."

Each year the Thomas More Law Center receives numerous calls from students across the country whose rights have been violated by public school officials.

A Virginia Beach school in March recanted in the face of a lawsuit by Thomas More that said it was wrong to prohibit a student from wearing his pro-life t-shirt. An assistant principal told Denbigh High School student Daniel Goergen that he had to remove the pro-life sweatshirt or turn it inside out.

Meanwhile, in Florida earlier this month, a pro-life student received detention for wearing a pro-life t-shirt. The school eventually relented and she did not serve out the detention.

During the national t-shirt celebration last year, a New Hampshire school’s officials threatened to suspend a high school freshman who wore an "abortion is homicide shirt." In Big Rapids, Michigan, a junior honor roll student was told to change her pro-life t-shirt or go home.

As a result of the center’s intervention, the students in both cases were no longer harassed when wearing pro-life t-shirts.

The Law Center has also defended students in similar cases in Pennsylvania, California, Texas, New York, and Maine.

"We anticipate that during this year’s National Pro-Life T-shirt Day that some school officials will again attempt to silence the pro-life messages of students. And again, we will assist these students and their families without charge," Thompson said.

Related web sites:
Thomas More Center – https://www.thomasmore.org