Clark County School District affirms student's First Amendment rights and reverses prior denial

Contact: Tom Ciesielka, 312-422-1333, tc@tcpr.net

LAS VEGAS, Sept. 2, 2015 /Christian Newswire/ -- This week, the Clark County School District officially approved Angelique Clark's pro-life club in response to the lawsuit filed by the Thomas More Society on Angelique's behalf.

In mid-August, the Thomas More Society filed a lawsuit against West Career and Technical Academy (WCTA) and the Clark County School District after WCTA student Angelique Clark's application to form a pro-life club was denied for reasons the Society claimed violated her free speech rights. A week later, counsel for the school district reached out to discuss settlement.

"We're pleased with the quick response we've received from District officials," said Jocelyn Floyd, Associate Counsel of Thomas More Society. "They have acknowledged that these are serious issues and we're grateful for their efforts to protect the speech rights of not just Angelique and her club, but of all future clubs in the Clark County School District."

The District's General Counsel, Carlos McDade, sent a letter on August 31, 2015, formally confirming "that Angelique Clark will be allowed to form a non-curriculum related, non-school sponsored, student initiated, student led pro-life group at West Career & Technical Academy." The school will be having an initial informational meeting for student groups during the week of September 7, 2015, after which Angelique's club will be able to begin hosting meetings and events, the same as all other non-curriculum related clubs.

The Society and the District are still in the process of negotiating a final settlement and the Society expects it to lead to a smooth resolution and dismissal of the lawsuit.

"I am so excited that I will finally be able to start a pro-life club at my high school," said Angelique Clark, junior at West Career and Technical Academy. "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."

The letter from West Career & Technical Academy attorney is available upon request.

Details on the history of this case are here:

Thomas More Society Files Lawsuit against Vegas High School on Behalf of Pro-Life Student

Students for Life Club at Vegas High School CENSORED; School Gets Demand Letter

For interviews with Attorney Jocelyn Floyd of the Thomas More Society or with student Angelique Clark, contact Tom Ciesielka, TC Public Relations: 312.422.1333, tc@tcpr.net

About the Thomas More Society
Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and religious liberty. Headquartered in Chicago, the Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way to the United States Supreme Court. For more information visit www.thomasmoresociety.org.