FARGO (KFGO-AM) - A Chicago-based non-profit law firm that gets involved in high-profile religious issues says the rights of two Fargo high school students were violated when they were denied permission to form two separate anti-abortion clubs.
The Thomas More Society is representing Davies High School student Katie McPherson and North High School student Brigid O'Keefe.
The organization sent a letter that outlines the allegation to Fargo Public Schools Superintendent Jeff Schatz. The four-page letter calls the school district’s decision “outright discrimination because of the students’ viewpoint.”
Thomas More Associate Counsel Jocelyn Floyd says the school district wrongly classified the clubs as outside agencies. “They can’t use the name of the school in the name of their clubs, they can’t put up posters, they can’t have announcements about any of their events in the school announcements” Floyd said. “They’ve been denied access to the student club forum that every other club gets.”
A statement from the Fargo School District says it takes the allegations seriously and says the issue has been submitted to the district’s attorney for review.
Floyd says if the matter can't be resolved with the district directly, a court challenge is a possibility.