(FamilyConservationPAC.com) – On January 20, 2023, nine kids and three parents, according to the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), were “unlawfully targeted for their religious pro-life beliefs,” according to the complaint, which was filed on Monday in the federal district court for the District of Columbia on their behalf.
The lawsuit claims that after the March for Life, pupils, parents, and chaperones from Our Lady of the Rosary Church and School in South Carolina visited the exhibit. The group members were sporting “Rosary Pro-Life” caps.
According to the complaint,
“Following their participation in the March for Life event, Plaintiffs visited the NASM where all Plaintiffs were subjected to a pattern of ongoing misconduct by at least five different staff, personnel, employees and/or security guards of NASM including Defendants Jane Does and John Does, which included targeting, harassment, discrimination and, ultimately, eviction from NASM simply because they wore blue hats with the inscription, “Rosary Pro-Life,”
The kids claim that museum workers made fun of them, used profanity against them, and informed them that their hats were “political statements” and were “not encouraging equality.”
The First Amendment “does not apply here,” according to staff, who reportedly informed the group that the museum is a “neutral zone.”
According to the complaint, several other museum visitors wore hats and masks, some of which included rainbow “Pride” designs.
“What the Smithsonian did is really appalling. According to their Christian religion, these students were showing their support for life by donning hats,” according to executive director of ACLJ Jordan Sekulow.
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“Everyone should be appalled by the treatment of these children, many of whom were minors, by their federal government—the Smithsonian and its personnel. It is not just disgusting, but it is also clearly unconstitutional. In response, we are fighting back.
The complaint further notes that the NASM is a government organization that operates with around 70% of its revenue coming from expenditures made by the federal government.
According to the lawsuit,
“NASM and its officers, agents, and employees are required to comply with the First and Fifth Amendments of the United States Constitution as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).”
To prevent defendants from
“unlawfully targeting Plaintiff, for differential treatment and specific scrutiny based on content and viewpoint or affiliation,” the ACLJ is seeking the court to issue an injunction.
Additionally, it is demanded in the complaint that museum staff members get “enough training” to ensure that their “behavior conforms with federal law and the United States Constitution.”
Even while ACLJ typically does not charge clients for its services, if the students are successful in their RFRA claim, the court may compel the Smithsonian to pay the number of the students’ lawyers’ fees if ACLJ had charged them instead.
Kristi L. v. National Air and Space Museum is the case at hand in the District of Columbia’s United States District Court, case number 1:23-cv-335.
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