A Nevada girl who fought a long legal battle with her school over a pro-life club didn’t just get her club approved, she got her school to pay for it.
The Thomas More Society, the religious liberty legal group representing junior Angelique Clark, announced Friday they would drop their lawsuit against Clark County School District in Las Vegas and that the school has agreed to pay $30,000 in attorney fees. The school agreed in September to allow the pro-life club after legal pressure.
“We’re pleased that District officials worked so diligently with us to protect the First Amendment rights of Angelique, her pro-life club, and all their students,” Jocelyn Floyd, Associate Counsel of Thomas More Society, said in a statement. “This settlement is a victory not only for Angelique and her pro-life club, but for all students who wish to speak out or form clubs to address issues that they’re facing.”
Clark, a student at West Career and Technical Academy, applied in December of 2014 to start a pro-life club at her school but was told by the administration the club was too “controversial” and that other people were more qualified to speak on the topic.
Clark told The Daily Caller News Foundation in August that the ban on her club was unfair because the school already had a gay-straight alliance club, chess club, Bible club, anime club, and others but wouldn’t allow her pro-life club even though she had dozens of students ready to join.
Clark teamed up with the Thomas More Society and sued her school. Floyd said she was glad the school conceded because “there have been times when school districts will dig their heels in whether they have a strong case or not.”
“I am so excited that I will finally be able to start a pro-life club at my high school,” Clark said in a statement after her club was approved. “I started with the idea to provide a safe place to educate my fellow students on the beauty of life at all stages, and I am very thankful to Students for Life of America and the Thomas More Society for helping me defend my rights so that students at my school can now gather for life. I look forward to running the WCTA pro-life club with all the other students who have already signed up to be a voice for the voiceless and ignored—the preborn and the mothers who think abortion is their only choice.”
Follow Casey on Twitter and like him on Facebook
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.