Dispute over student organization draws eye of anti-abortion group

 
    A national anti-abortion organization has claimed Hampton-Dumont High School Principal Steve Madson violated a student’s free speech rights by prohibiting her from forming an official anti-abortion club at the school.
    Lawyers representing Students for Life of America contest that Madson infringed on senior Isabell Akers’ First Amendment rights when he denied her club’s application for official student organization status in 2013. According to a letter sent by legal council Thursday, Madson denied Akers’ request because he didn’t want the school picking sides on the issue of abortion. Akers’ group was recognized as a “noncurriculum-related organization” following the initial rejection, but wasn’t considered official under H-D code.
    The letter urged the school to reconsider its decision and approve Akers' request to “establish, publicize and actively run a pro-life student group” at H-D.
    “There is no legally acceptable reason to classify Isabell’s club differently from any of the multitude of other non-curricular, fully organized clubs at Hampton-Dumont High School,” wrote attorney Jocelyn Floyd.
    The letter claims other non-curricular organizations like Key Club, Students Against Drunk Driving and International Club are considered “official” by H-D, making the school’s decision on Akers' group unfair.
    “The classification of Isabell’s club as a ‘community club’ or the school’s only ‘non-curricular’ club, and the associated limitations on her group’s right to participate in the life of the school as an official student group constitutes a violation of her rights under both the Federal Equal Access Act and the First Amendment to the United States Constitution,” Floyd wrote.
    H-D officials denied the accusations and asserted Madson followed policy endorsed by the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB). After Akers’ group was deemed a noncurriculum-related organization, H-D allowed the group to meet and provided access to meeting space and other school district facilities.
    According to the IASB code, only students may attend and participate in meetings of noncurriculum-related groups. Attendance is strictly voluntary and student initiated, but school employees can be assigned to monitor meetings. The school employees are not allowed to participate or assist in planning, criticizing or encouraging attendance.
    Superintendent Todd Lettow issued a statement in response to the letter last Thursday. He said district officials “do take these matters seriously” and contacted legal counsel for further advice.
    “These students are being afforded the same opportunity as any other noncurricular student organization, which includes the ability to meet and communicate with other students that have similar interests,” Lettow said. “The district has had a policy in place for a number of years regarding the forming of student organizations.”
    Akers' group started meeting as a noncurriculum-related organization in January 2014 and still meets regularly. She was disappointed the school classified Students for Life as a noncurriculum-related organization and wanted the same privileges and status as other official student groups at H-D.
    The group has approximately seven active members. Students for Life would have more resources available to spread its message if it were an official student organization, Akers said.
    “If we’re an official club, we can hang up posters on the wall and can also be in the club yearbook photos to let our peers know there is a club here,” she explained. “[School officials] just keep telling me no, that it’s too controversial even though we have been meeting for over a year and there’s been no controversy or disruption.”
    Akers will graduate in May, but she didn’t think her absence would jeopardize the group’s future.
    “I have other students in mind who will pick up when I’m gone. It will not stop with me graduating,” she said.
    Though Akers is against abortion, she acknowledged an opposing organization’s right to form their own club at H-D. However, no pro-abortion group currently exists at the school.
    “They do have the right to do that,” she said.
    Students for Life of America has requested a response from the school district by April 30. The organization’s letter to Madson can be found here.