H-D responds to anti-abortion group with policy review

The status of an anti-abortion club at Hampton-Dumont High School is still uncertain following an announcement last Friday by district officials.
According to Superintendent Todd Lettow, H-D is still reviewing administrative procedures regarding the classification of student clubs and organizations. Students for Life of America, a nationwide anti-abortion group, claims Principal Steve Madson violated a student’s First Amendement rights when he repeatedly denied her anti-abortion group’s application for official club status. The accusation prompted a large scale review of internal policy, but a final decision is still pending.
“We will be revisiting our current policies to clarify and strengthen the definitions of curricular and noncurricular clubs,” Lettow wrote in a letter to parents on Friday. “We recognize some of the language and information could be improved. The changes will allow us to apply the policies to all clubs consistently.”
H-D senior Isabell Akers tried to start a Students for Life club multiple times in 2013 and 2014. She claims Madson denied her application for official club status because the group was “too controversial,” and because he didn’t want the school picking sides on the abortion debate. However, Madson and other district administrators assert the principal was following policy endorsed by the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB).
Akers’ group has been operating as a “noncurriculum-related organization” since January 2014. The designation gives members access to meeting space and district facilities, but not other privileges enjoyed by official school clubs, known as curricular clubs.
Attorneys representing Students for Life sent a demand letter to Madson on April 16 urging the principal to reverse his decision and make the group official. It demanded a response by April 30, which the district honored on Thursday by informing the organization it was still reviewing policy.
Despite the controversy, Lettow remained confident the IASB’s policy was comprehensive and sound. However, he felt the district needed to clarify how curricular and non-curricular clubs are classified.
“I just think we have to look at the process that goes into it,” he explained in an interview. “Is there a chance some existing clubs could be reclassified? I would say yes.”
Any policy changes or club reclassifications would occur before the start of the 2015-16 school year. Lettow expected the school board to review the situation soon and make a decision after a thorough discussion.
“It’s important to be thoughtful and go through the process to do it right,” he said.
Students for Life commented on the situation via news release on Tuesday. The organization was pleased with H-D's decision to review current policy and looked forward to the final verdict.
 “We are encouraged by the district’s response in stepping up to remedy misapplications of the existing policies, which had resulted in pro-life students not being given the same treatment as other student-led clubs,” said Jocelyn Floyd, an attorney representing Students for Life. “This situation has given the school administrators an opportunity to clarify their District’s protections for broad, vibrant free speech rights for all students at Hampton-Dumont High School, including pro-life students.”