Settlement Reached in Lawsuit Over Anti-Abortion Message

National Air and Space Museum

In a recent court filing, the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. has agreed to settle a lawsuit by a group of students, parents, and chaperones from a Catholic school in South Carolina regarding an incident that occurred during their visit last year.

Settlement Details

The federally funded museum has agreed to pay a total of $50,000 to the more than a dozen plaintiffs to settle the suit, including attorneys' fees. Additionally, the museum's director will provide the plaintiffs with a tour of the facility and issue an apology for the incident. The settlement also includes a provision for the Smithsonian to notify security personnel at all its museums and the National Zoo about its policy allowing hats and other clothing articles bearing messages, including religious and political speech.

Previous Settlement

This settlement comes after the National Archives Museum in Washington agreed to pay $10,000 to a smaller group of plaintiffs and to abide by similar conditions to settle a comparable lawsuit. The incidents at both museums occurred on January 20, 2023, coinciding with the anti-abortion March for Life in the U.S. capital, in which the plaintiffs in each case had participated.

Plaintiffs' Experience

The plaintiffs, a dozen or so individuals from Our Lady of Rosary Church and School in Greenville, South Carolina, were asked to remove their hats with the inscription "Rosary Pro-Life" while visiting the Air and Space Museum. Guards at different locations in the museum instructed them to take off their hats despite the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech.

Response from Museums

Following the filing of lawsuits, both museums issued apologies for the behavior of their security guards towards the plaintiffs. They clarified that their institutions do not bar patrons because of messages on their clothing due to the First Amendment's protection of freedom of speech.

Reaction From Involved Parties

A spokesman for the American Center for Law & Justice, the conservative Christian organization representing the plaintiffs, refrained from immediate comment on the latest settlement. The National Air & Space Museum and the Department of Justice, which defended the museum in the suit, declined to provide additional comments when approached for a response.