‘Pro-Life’ Clothing Banned?!

(5MinNewsBreak.com) – A notable lawsuit involving several abortion opponents against the National Archives Museum has reached a settlement, as detailed in a recent court filing.

This legal action stems from an incident where the plaintiffs, after participating in the March for Life event in Washington, D.C., were instructed by National Archives security to remove or cover their “pro-life” messages while visiting the museum.

The settlement includes a total payment of $10,000 to the plaintiffs and measures to ensure such incidents do not recur. The American Center for Law & Justice, a conservative Christian organization, represented the plaintiffs. Their executive director, Jordan Sekulow, highlighted the outcome as a victory, emphasizing that it met their demands for an explanation and investigation into the incident. An inquiry revealed that a security company contracted by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) was solely responsible for this action, with no involvement from NARA officials. Both NARA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, representing NARA, have not commented on the settlement.

Parallel to this case, the ACLJ has filed a similar lawsuit against the National Air and Space Museum, where a Catholic school group from South Carolina was asked to cover their “pro-life” clothing during a visit. Attempts to settle this case through mediation were unsuccessful, leading it back to trial.

Both the National Archives and the Air and Space Museum apologized after these lawsuits were filed in February, acknowledging that the actions of their security staff violated museum policies. These incidents occurred in the context of heightened national debate following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

The lawsuit against the National Archives accused NARA of infringing upon the plaintiffs’ First Amendment right to free speech and their Fifth Amendment right to equal protection under the law. The plaintiffs, including a Michigan woman and her daughter, a Virginia resident, and an Illinois resident, claimed they were told their clothing was “offensive” and could “incite others.”

In addition to the financial settlement, NARA agreed to show surveillance footage of the incident to the plaintiffs and their lawyers, although copies of the footage are not permitted. NARA also reaffirmed its policy allowing visitors to wear clothing displaying protest language, including religious and political speech. They have taken steps to remind their contract security officers nationwide of this policy and visitor rights. Furthermore, NARA will provide personal tours and apologies to two of the plaintiffs and has since removed the security supervisor responsible for the incident.