High School Bans Pro-Life Club, Saying It's Too 'Controversial'

Mel Johnson

Student Battles High School To Start A Pro-Life Club

High school senior Elizabeth Castro is very passionately pro-life on the issue of abortion. That's because abortion would have robbed her of her beloved 14-year-old brother. So, when her high school rejected her request to start a pro-life club, she refused to back down. Credit: Twitter video screenshot When Elizabeth (Liz) Castro's mom became pregnant, doctors urged her to have an abortion because of health risks. Thankfully she refused. [rsnippet id="3"] In her senior year at her high school in Pennsylvania, Liz and her friend, Grace Schairer, wanted to start a Students For Life Of America chapter. But the school was quick to shoot down the idea of having a pro-life club.

“They told me that we couldn’t have our club because it was too controversial and too political at the time,” Liz explained.

RELATED: Atheists demand cross at public park be removed, but Missouri City refuses Some folks found the decision quite surprising. Especially since a gay-straight alliance club and a political science club exist at the school -- both of which could be considered "controversial" or "political."

“I think they were definitely discriminated against us because we were pro-life,” Castro said.

Liz graduated this year. So, unfortunately she didn't get her dream of having a pro-life club during her time at the school. However, that doesn't mean she's giving up!

Fighting The Good Fight

As a rising senior, Grace will carry the torch for starting the club from within the school. And Liz has enlisted the help of the Thomas More Society, a Chicago law firm that takes anti-abortion and religious liberty cases for free. The law firm sent a demand letter to the school. It stated the rejection of the club on the basis it was too "political" and "controversial" is a violation of the First Amendment and the federal Equal Access Act. Meanwhile, about 20 parents, students and community members showed up at the most recent school board to show support for the pro-life club. One parent appealed to the board, asking them to allow the students to promote "a culture of life." School representatives responded, saying the club would be permitted so long as it adheres to "certain parameters that have to be met by not just this club but all clubs." They sent those rules to the Thomas More Society. The next steps currently remain in development, but we applaud Liz and Grace for standing up for their beliefs! h/t: The Blaze [rsnippet id="2"] YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: High School Forbids Student From Putting Jesus In Graduation Speech Credit: First Liberty Institute

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