MARQUETTE ADMINISTRATORS CHANGED THEIR MINDS AND SAID YES TO PRO-LIFE CLUB AFTER FIRST TELLING STUDENTS NO
Marquette junior, Aiden Strobel, happily told us: "Yep! She called us down this afternoon."
"She" is Marquette principal Tracey Waeckerle.
People familiar with the situation said Waeckerle and the Activities Director apologized to Strobel and the other student, who both want to start the Marquette Students For Life club.
We're told the adults said they didn't realize Eureka High School already had a similar pro-life club.
The original post, about the club initially being rejected by the school, and the attorney letter that was sent to the school, is below:
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"...you always hear about conservative censorship on the news and stuff, but nothing like that had ever actually happened to me, so when it did it was kind of a wake-up call and I realized that it is a very prevalent problem, not only in schools but other places as well."
--Aiden Strobel
Aiden Strobel is a junior at Marquette High School who, with another student, is trying to form a club there called "Marquette Students for Life," or MSFL. It would be a pro-life club. Strobel talked with us about the club's rejection.
Strobel says last month, he and another student went to the Activities secretary at the school to start the process of forming the club. When she said no, they went one step higher to the school's Activities Director.
Strobel says he was shocked that the director said, "I do not feel that Marquette is the right place for this club."
Strobel explains things in more detail in this guest blog post "Did Someone Forget the First Amendment?..." that he co-wrote with another student. It is featured on the national Students For Life of America site.
Here's an excerpt:
"While we were initially greeted kindly, our interaction with the office changed immediately when we said that SFLA was a pro-life group. The Activities Secretary told us we could not form the group because it would “make Marquette look like they are making a political statement,” adding that we couldn’t have a religious club. While both of us are personally Christians, SFLA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means it’s neither religious nor affiliated with a political party…so neither of these objections matter.
Regardless, even if SFLA was a religious organization, there are many religious and pop-culture “statement-making” organizations at Marquette (like the Gay-Straight Alliance and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes) so this opposition was entirely inaccurate. When we questioned her further about the matter, she refused to provide a direct answer, and we left."
LEGAL LETTER
Now, he says, the national Students for Life of America organization has taken on the club's rejection. The organization's attorney sent a letter to Marquette, stating that rejecting the club violates rules under both state and federal law.
The letter tells Marquette to immediately allow the club to form, and to desist from attempts to prevent it. You can read the 4-page letter in its entirety, below.
OTHER CLUBS
According to Marquette's website, the school has a Fellowship of Christian Athletes club and a Gay Straight Alliance club.
Strobel says even without being allowed to advertise the pro-life club, they are already aware of 11 students that would like to join.
The letter sent to Marquette says the school has 7 days to respond.
We reached out to the school and will update with any developments.
THE LETTER
Here's the letter telling Marquette to allow the students to form the club.
The original post, about the club initially being rejected by the school, and the attorney letter that was sent to the school, is below:
-------
"...you always hear about conservative censorship on the news and stuff, but nothing like that had ever actually happened to me, so when it did it was kind of a wake-up call and I realized that it is a very prevalent problem, not only in schools but other places as well."
--Aiden Strobel
Aiden Strobel is a junior at Marquette High School who, with another student, is trying to form a club there called "Marquette Students for Life," or MSFL. It would be a pro-life club. Strobel talked with us about the club's rejection.
Strobel says last month, he and another student went to the Activities secretary at the school to start the process of forming the club. When she said no, they went one step higher to the school's Activities Director.
Strobel says he was shocked that the director said, "I do not feel that Marquette is the right place for this club."
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| Email from Marquette's Student Activities Director to students trying to form a pro-life club. |
Strobel explains things in more detail in this guest blog post "Did Someone Forget the First Amendment?..." that he co-wrote with another student. It is featured on the national Students For Life of America site.
Here's an excerpt:
"While we were initially greeted kindly, our interaction with the office changed immediately when we said that SFLA was a pro-life group. The Activities Secretary told us we could not form the group because it would “make Marquette look like they are making a political statement,” adding that we couldn’t have a religious club. While both of us are personally Christians, SFLA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which means it’s neither religious nor affiliated with a political party…so neither of these objections matter.
Regardless, even if SFLA was a religious organization, there are many religious and pop-culture “statement-making” organizations at Marquette (like the Gay-Straight Alliance and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes) so this opposition was entirely inaccurate. When we questioned her further about the matter, she refused to provide a direct answer, and we left."
Now, he says, the national Students for Life of America organization has taken on the club's rejection. The organization's attorney sent a letter to Marquette, stating that rejecting the club violates rules under both state and federal law.
The letter tells Marquette to immediately allow the club to form, and to desist from attempts to prevent it. You can read the 4-page letter in its entirety, below.
OTHER CLUBS
According to Marquette's website, the school has a Fellowship of Christian Athletes club and a Gay Straight Alliance club.
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| As seen on Marquette's web page. |
Ironically, Eureka High School, another school in Rockwood, has already allowed a "Students for Life" Club to form. The mom of the founder there says approximately 20 students are members.
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| As seen on Eureka High School's web page. |
Strobel says even without being allowed to advertise the pro-life club, they are already aware of 11 students that would like to join.
The letter sent to Marquette says the school has 7 days to respond.
We reached out to the school and will update with any developments.
THE LETTER
Here's the letter telling Marquette to allow the students to form the club.
