DANBURY, Ct. — After receiving a letter from attorneys with the Alliance Defense Fund, the principal of Danbury High School agreed Wednesday to allow a student to promote and participate in the Day of Truth after first having prohibited the student from doing so. The school officially endorses the Day of Silence, an event promoting the homosexual agenda, but had thwarted student Rosemary Shakro’s attempts to promote the Day of Truth by inviting a speaker to a club meeting and posting signs announcing the event.
“Christian students should be allowed to express their viewpoint just like any other student,” said ADF Legal Counsel Matt Bowman. “The Day of Truth is an opportunity for Christian students to respectfully present a different viewpoint than students participating in the Day of Silence. Allowing students to have a Day of Silence without allowing students to have a Day of Truth limits free speech and the free exchange of ideas.”
“We are pleased that we had the opportunity to explain the law so that the school could do the right thing and respect the First Amendment rights of this student and any other students that wish to observe the Day of Truth. We hope other schools will follow this example for their students,” Bowman added.
Shakro wished to invite a guest speaker to her “Youth Alive” after-school club meeting this Thursday as part of activities leading up to the Day of Truth. The school has allowed other clubs, such as the Gay-Straight Alliance, to have outside guests speak at school assemblies and club meetings. However, the school’s principal, who prohibited a speaker for last year’s Day of Truth, prohibited this year’s speaker as well, saying that the Day of Truth is too “controversial” and “counteractive.” The principal had also claimed that “anti-homosexual” speech is prohibited at the school and that the presentation could cause contention among students.
“In addition, the principal had prohibited the posting of signs in school hallways announcing the club meeting, nonsensically suggesting that the ‘All are welcome’ message on the sign was an invitation to the general public to trespass on school property,” Bowman noted.
Bowman sent a letter to the principal explaining the law, and the school now says that Shakro will be allowed to invite the speaker and to post signs announcing the meeting.
“According to the law, a school cannot allow students to promote one viewpoint and then prohibit promotion of another viewpoint. School officials also cannot ban speech just because they think it’s unpopular or controversial. We are very pleased that Rosemary’s constitutional rights will be respected,” said Bowman.
A copy of the letter sent to Danbury High School is available at
www.telladf.org/UserDocs/ShakroLetter.pdf.
ADF is a legal alliance defending the right to hear and speak the Truth through strategy, training, funding, and litigation.
www.telladf.org www.dayoftruth.org