Several abortion opponents sued the National Archives and Records Administration after its security guards ordered them to remove or cover up clothing with “pro-life” messages during a visit to the archives last month while attending the March for Life in Washington.
NARA issued an announcement Friday on the lawsuit in District of Columbia federal court, and an apology for the incidents, which occurred months after the Supreme Court overturned the federal right to abortion.
The statement admitted that the safety guards were unsuitable to demand they hide the “pro-life” messages while touring the archives, home to the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Structure and other historically significant documents.
“Because the home to the unique Structure and Bill of Rights, which enshrine the rights of free speech and religion, we sincerely apologize for this occurrence,” NARA said.
“NARA policy expressly allows all visitors to wear t-shirts, hats, buttons, etc. that display protest language, including religious and political speech,” the statement said. “We’re actively investigating to find out what happened.” NARA said it could not comment on the suit itself.
The suit, filed Wednesday, alleges the plaintiffs’ civil rights under the First and Fifth amendments of the U.S. Structure were violated by NARA and 4 unidentified security officers on Jan. 20. The March for Life, which opposes abortion, was occurring the identical day.
The First Amendment prohibits governments and their agencies, corresponding to NARA, from restricting free speech, and the Fifth Amendment guarantees residents equal protection under the laws.
The plaintiffs within the suit are being represented by lawyers from the American Center for Law & Justice, a conservative, Christian organization.
“On January 20, 2023, each of the Plaintiffs visited the National Archives to view those documents that affirm their God-given right to free speech, expression, and their exercise of spiritual beliefs,” the suit says.
The adult plaintiffs didn’t know one another before the lawsuit was filed, the suit says.
Two of the plaintiffs, a Michigan woman identified as Tamara R., and her 17-year-old daughter L.R., were there with a bunch of about 15 students and fogeys from L.R.’s Catholic highschool, the suit says.
The mother is suing on behalf of her daughter, who “holds a deeply religious belief that she has a non secular
and moral obligation to talk out against the abortion of innocent babies,” the suit says.
One other plaintiff, Wendilee Walpole Lassiter, is a Virginia resident and Protestant who was with a bunch of scholars from her private religious school, Liberty University School of Law, the suit says.
The opposite plaintiff, Terrie Kallal, is an Illinois resident and a “devout Catholic,” in keeping with the suit.
When L.R., her mom and fellow classmates were within the constructing’s Rotunda, where the Bill of Rights is housed, a security guard approached them and told L.R. and the opposite students “to remove all pro-life attire,” the suit says.
L.R. was specifically told to cover her shirt, which said, “Life is a Human Right,” and never to unzip the jacket over it until she left the National Archives, in keeping with the suit.
The guard told her classmates to remove buttons and hats carrying pro-life messages, the suit alleges. One hat said “LIFE at all times WINS,” and one other said, “ProLife,” in keeping with the suit.
“Plaintiff L.R. communicated to a friend via Snapchat while still contained in the National
Archives, ‘he told me to take off my pro-life pin as I used to be standing next to the structure that literally
says Freedom of Speech on it,'” the suit alleges.
L.R. later says three different National Archives employees contained in the gift shop confronted her classmates and told them to “immediately” remove their pro-life clothing.
During Lassiter’s visit, a guard approached her when she passed through a metal detector and ordered her to remove her sweatshirt, which said, “I’m the post-Roe Generation: Law Students for Life,” in keeping with the lawsuit.
The guard told her: “You could have to take your shirt off. Your shirt will incite others,” and “would cause a disturbance. You are disturbing the peace,” the suit says.
Lassiter, who complied, said she later saw two other Archives visitors wearing what seemed to be messages supporting abortion rights, one in all which said, “My Body, My Selection,” and “Pro-Selection,” in keeping with the suit.
The opposite plaintiff, Kallal, said she and her granddaughter likewise were told to cover up their t-shirts, one in all which said “MARCH 4 LIFE 2014: Saint Cecilia’s Youth Group, Glen Carbon, IL,” the opposite which said, “Pro-life generation.”
One guard told them, “Your clothing is offensive. It’s essential to zip up your coats or take off your shirts,” the suit said.
Kallal later saw other students leaving the constructing after being told to cover their pro-life message clothing, saying “they might moderately leave than hand over their right to free speech,” in keeping with the lawsuit.
NARA, in its statement Friday, said “early indications are that our security officers quickly corrected their actions and, from that time forward, all visitors were permitted to enter our facility without having to remove or cover their attire.”
NARA said it has reminded all of its security staff at locations nationwide “of the rights of tourists on this regard.”