FIRST ON FOX: Republican Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas and Todd Younger, R-Indiana are urging historic museums in Washington, D.C., to “respect” the First Modification rights of pro-life protesters who’re anticipated to descend upon the town on Friday.
“This peaceable train of First Modification rights has traditionally supplied individuals with a optimistic, welcoming expertise in our nation’s capital,” the senators wrote in a letter to the Smithsonian Nationwide Air and House Museum and the Nationwide Archives and Data Administration (NARA).
Two years in the past, the Smithsonian Nationwide Air and House Museum booted a number of Catholic college students and their chaperones for carrying pro-life apparel. College students and chaperones from Our Woman of the Rosary Faculty in Greenville, South Carolina, traveled to Washington, D.C., to take part within the annual Nationwide March for Life. The group stood out in matching blue beanies emblazoned with the phrases “Rosary PRO-LIFE.”
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Sens. Todd Younger and Ted Cruz pen letter warning museums to stick to pro-life protesters’ free speech rights. (Picture by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Photos)(Picture by Samuel Corum/Getty Photos) (Getty Photos)
On the time, the American Heart for Legislation and Justice (ACLJ), representing some college students’ dad and mom, claimed museum workers mocked the group, used expletives, and argued the museum was a “impartial zone” prohibiting political or non secular messages.
In a settlement reached on March 18, 2024, the Smithsonian Establishment resolved a lawsuit with college students faraway from the Nationwide Air and House Museum for carrying pro-life beanies. As a part of the settlement, the Smithsonian dedicated to offering the scholars a tour and an apology, updating its coverage on clothes with non secular and political speech for public-facing safety workers, sharing video footage and investigative particulars of the incident, and paying $50,000.
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Folks attend the annual March for Life rally on the Nationwide Mall on January 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Photos)
“Whereas we’re happy that the victims of this harassment obtained justice, it clearly by no means ought to have occurred within the first place. No sum of cash might really undue the atrocious acts: officers bearing the badge and power of the federal authorities brazenly intimidated and violated the First Amendment rights of peaceable college students,” the senators wrote to the museums final week.
“Furthermore, American taxpayers footed the invoice for the Smithsonian Establishment staff’ egregious conduct and obvious lack of enough coaching. This can not occur once more,” they mentioned.
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Folks attend the annual March for Life rally exterior of the U.S. Supreme Court docket on January 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Kent Nishimura/Getty Photos)
That very same yr, NARA settled a lawsuit in December 2023 after workers reportedly requested guests to take away pro-life clothes through the March for Life protest earlier that yr. The guests, represented additionally by the ACLJ, claimed their First Modification rights had been violated. NARA apologized, admitted the incident breached its insurance policies, and agreed to pay $10,000 in authorized charges whereas implementing workers coaching to stop future violations.
The senators are urging the establishments to reply questions on whether or not they have honored prior settlements relating to the therapy of tourists displaying non secular or political messages and whether or not workers have been reminded of insurance policies defending free speech. NARA can also be being requested to decide to sustaining these protections after a key injunction expires in January 2025. Each businesses have been requested to offer detailed explanations of their actions and preparations.
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In an electronic mail to Fox Information Digital, Smithsonian Establishment spokesperson Pamela Baker-Masson mentioned, “We’ll correspond with the Senators.”
NARA didn’t reply to a request for remark by press deadline.
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