I never thought the school would reject me for promoting life, but, unfortunately, they did. My right to have a school club and use my voice to speak the truth was stripped away. 

Eight months ago, I heard my call to open a pro-life group within my unique, virtual school, which I am so thankful for. I was so excited to start this group. Way before the first meeting with the club, I had PowerPoints prepped. Before I could send the club proposal, however, I had to find a few good sponsors for my group.  

I attend the BLAST Bible Club (an official school club), and the advisor in that group seemed like the perfect candidate for the role. Though she couldn’t run the club due to her busy schedule, she directed me to another Christian teacher with deep roots in the pro-life movement. 

After I recruited my sponsor, we sent a club request email to the Head of Student Pupil Services (HOSPS). We were told to wait for the board to approve it. A couple of weeks passed, and the Head of Student Pupil Services responded with a “no.”  

Our group proposal was rejected because he said we would “interfere with the educational process or infringe upon the rights of others.” I was furious with this response. In no way, shape, or form were we interfering with anyone’s educational process or infringing on others’ rights. Students had the option to join or ignore our group.  

The HOSPS response email continued to “recommend incorporating your Pro-Life concept into the existing Blast Club.” So, for a while, that’s exactly what we did. For the past eight months, we’ve been meeting through BLAST Bible Club. We had great topic discussions and guest speakers like Savannah Craven and Julia Sadik. Everything was going well. 

For eight months, we continued to meet together. But we struggled to grow. We had more group officers than members! Our club was still going strong, but there was no increase in group membership. Our pro-life group was enclosed in a small crowd of people who already shared similar pro-life beliefs. 

We continued without mentioning anything to the school board. But then I decided to advertise this group within one of my classes. My science teacher permitted me to share my group’s ideas to hopefully gain a few members. After I told them what my club was about, I got an email from a classmate spewing nothing but hate towards me and assuming things about me when we barely knew each other.  

A few days later (after I advertised my club to my science class), I was pulled into a separate room with the Principal and Assistant Principals. I was told I couldn’t promote my group because it wasn’t official. It couldn’t be advertised to other students. This further upset me. I wasn’t even going to be able to get the word out. 

To make matters worse, one of my long-time friends cut communications with me, calling me untrue things like a homophobe. I stand for all life. Though I might not agree with everything someone chooses, I care for and value their life, no matter what.  

We continued to hold sessions, even though we were isolated due to the unjust, illegal act made by the school board. I knew for a fact that I had a legal right to have my pro-life group within my virtual school. Somehow they thought telling me my group couldn’t be opened within the school could discourage me in some way. I didn’t let that happen. 

Our group was in a seemingly never-ending spiral of stagnation and declining growth, and I didn’t have legal support to back my group and myself. I didn’t even want to imagine the cost if our situation moved from a demand letter to a lawsuit.  

Near the end of those eight months, we invited Julia Sadik, Pennsylvania Regional Coordinator for Students for Life of America (SFLA), to speak on ‘Developing Your Leadership to End Abortion in Our Lifetime’. It was great training, and we all enjoyed hearing her speak. Near the end of our meeting, we discussed our lack of participation due to our school preventing any word from going out. Julia told us about SFLA’s Legal Team.  

Julia got us the help we needed and put us in contact with Olivia Torralba, Legal Operations Manager. Then Olivia put us in contact with Katie Buckner, Associate Counsel. Everyone fully supported our group and helped us in trying to make the group official. Katie pointed out the fault of the school. She explained the law to us. She even brought up past court cases that resolved to make non-curricular clubs legal and helped me understand my rights at school. 

My parents have always encouraged me to take a firm stand for what I believe and know is right and true. Having this whole team of people behind me and giving me their full support was amazingly inspiring. Ever since that day, I promised myself that I would never let the pressure of an opposing party bring me down or silence me.  

This is not just an issue for women. Pro-life men have been told to stay quiet. Pro-abortion men have abused abortion in a way that a lot of pro-abortion women have been blind to. But everyone should be protected by men and the law, including the preborn. Male or female, liberal or conservative, pro-abortion or pro-life, all life should be protected.  

We live in a great country, but in a terrible time. Instead of letting abortion take too strong a hold on our society, let us continue to fight against abortion and be a voice for the voiceless.  

SFLA’s Legal Team has contacted the school’s officials, and I’m hopeful about how things will work out. Thank you, Students for Life of America’s Legal Team, for working hard to benefit me as a student under the Constitution, in which I have the right to freedom of speech and expression. 

READ NEXT: Students for Life of America-Sponsored Debate on Abortion Draws Relentless Protestors: Pro-Life Student & Panelist ASSAULTED