Community College Denies Students For Life Group, Reverses After Intervention

SMYRNA, TN and FREDERICKSBURG, VA (12-12-19)– After intervention from Students for Life of America’s national headquarters, Motlow State Community College has reversed its denial of a Students for Life group on campus and has officially approved the group. Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, stated, “As free-speech rights are under attack on high school and college campuses, it is great to see a school realize their mistake and amend it. We’re looking forward to continuing our work in Tennessee and across the country.” “ Motlow Community College in Tennessee originally denied an application by students at the

Read article →
Twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube Snapchat
GIVESHOP
  • Pro-life Students
    Middle School
    • Become an Activist
    • Start & Grow A Chapter
    • What We Can Do For You
    • Get Involved
    Menu
    • Become an Activist
    • Start & Grow A Chapter
    • What We Can Do For You
    • Get Involved
    High School
    • Become an Activist
    • Start & Grow Your Own Group
    • What We Can Do For You
    • Get Involved
    Menu
    • Become an Activist
    • Start & Grow Your Own Group
    • What We Can Do For You
    • Get Involved
    College
    • Become an Activist
    • Start & Grow Your Own Group
    • What We Can Do For You
    • Get Involved
    Menu
    • Become an Activist
    • Start & Grow Your Own Group
    • What We Can Do For You
    • Get Involved
    Med & Law
    • Get Educated
    • Start & Grow Your Own Group
    • What We Can Do For You
    Menu
    • Get Educated
    • Start & Grow Your Own Group
    • What We Can Do For You
  • Supporters
    • What we do
    • Our Success
    • Invest in Our Mission
  • About Us
    • Mission Statement
    • What we do
    • Our Team
    • Our Board
    • FAQs
    • Annual Reports
    • SFLA Speakers
    • Press
    • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • November 9, 2017

Students for Life Wins Free Speech Case with Settlement in California

Fresno State Professor Ordered to Make Restitution and Undergo First Amendment Training

“College campuses should be a place of vigorous and respectful debate, but instead we often find people like Professor Greg Thatcher who abuse authority to block pro-life speech,” said SFLA’s Kristan Hawkins.

Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins called the settlement announced today in Fresno State Students for Life v. William Gregory Thatcher “a victory for all students who have the same Constitutional rights as professors. As our interactive map illustrates, nationwide we are seeing incredible opposition to pro-life speech as our student leaders and volunteers speak for the defenseless, reach out to pregnant women, and educate on the violence of abortion. But as this case illustrates, we are not going to be silent, even if it takes going to court. I want to thank Alliance Defending Freedom for fighting to protect the rights of our students who bravely speak up for preborn children every day. Right now, Students for Life is engaged in an Abortion = Violence campaign that is going to more than 90 college campuses, so let this case put college administrations on notice that we expect students’ rights to be respected and that the free market place of ideas include college campuses.”

In May, Bernadette Tasy, the president of Fresno State Students for Life, received permission to chalk pro-life messages near the school library. The messages expressed support for pregnant and parenting students and presented information about the development of an unborn child. Tasy observed and recorded students destroying the messages, telling her that they were instructed to by Dr. Thatcher, a public health professor.

Thatcher then proceeded to give Tasy a lecture on free speech that misstated both the law and university policy, claiming that the group could only speak in a speech zone the university eliminated two years ago. Eventually he said, “You had permission to put [the chalkings] down … I have permission to get rid of it,” as he used his sneaker to scrub over what was written. Thatcher also said, “College campuses are not free speech areas.”

In the settlement, Thatcher will pay $1,000 to Tasy and $1,000 to another student, Jesus Herrera, along with some attorneys’ fees. The professor is also required to undergo some First Amendment training to be provided by ADF.

When the lawsuit was filed, ADF Senior Counsel Casey Mattox, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom observed: “Today’s college students will be tomorrow’s legislators, judges, educators, and voters. That’s why it’s so important that university professors model the First Amendment values they are supposed to be teaching to students, and why it should disturb everyone that this Fresno State professor, like so many other university officials across the country, is communicating to a generation that the Constitution doesn’t matter.”

As Hawkins’ recent column “Shouldn’t Pro-Life Students Have the Same Free Speech Rights as Millionaire Athletes?” illustrates, SFLA has been engaged in protecting students’ rights nationwide. For interviews, e-mail [email protected]

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Kristi Hamrick
  • Media Relations
  • [email protected]
  • Blog, Blogroll

Related Posts

Community College Denies Students For Life Group, Reverses After Intervention
Read more +
These Insurance Plans Subsidize Abortion
Read more +
Baptist Church Hosts Pro-Abortion Supporters, Plans Protest Of Pro-Life Charity
Read more +
Pregnancy Resource Center Wins Legal Battle With Raleigh
Read more +
Planned Parenthood Says It’s A ‘Dark Day’ When Women Can See Their Ultrasounds
Read more +
Supreme Court Rejects Challenge To Pro-Life Kentucky Ultrasound Law
Read more +

Our mission statement
Students for Life of America exists to recruit, train, and mobilize the Pro-Life Generation to abolish abortion.

Search
Twitter Facebook Instagram Youtube Snapchat

Copyright © 2019 Students for Life of America.

PRO-LIFE STUDENTS
Middle School
  • Become an Activist
  • Start & Grow A Chapter
  • What We Can Do For You
  • Get Involved
Menu
  • Become an Activist
  • Start & Grow A Chapter
  • What We Can Do For You
  • Get Involved
High School
  • Become an Activist
  • Start & Grow Your Own Group
  • What We Can Do For You
  • Get Involved
Menu
  • Become an Activist
  • Start & Grow Your Own Group
  • What We Can Do For You
  • Get Involved
College
  • Become an Activist
  • Start & Grow Your Own Group
  • What We Can Do For You
  • Get Involved
Menu
  • Become an Activist
  • Start & Grow Your Own Group
  • What We Can Do For You
  • Get Involved
Med & Law
  • Get Educated
  • Start & Grow Your Own Group
  • What We Can Do For You
Menu
  • Get Educated
  • Start & Grow Your Own Group
  • What We Can Do For You
SUPPORTERS
  • What we do
  • Our Success
  • Invest in Our Mission
Menu
  • What we do
  • Our Success
  • Invest in Our Mission
ABOUT US
  • Mission Statement
  • What we do
  • Our Team
  • Our Board
  • FAQs
  • SFLA Speakers
  • Press
Menu
  • Mission Statement
  • What we do
  • Our Team
  • Our Board
  • FAQs
  • SFLA Speakers
  • Press