Hutchinson Middle School Harasses a Sixth-Grader for Wearing Pro-Life Shirts

The St. Thomas More Law Center has just filed suit against Hutchinson Middle School on behalf of “K.B.”, a sixth-grade boy who has been the subject of continual harassment by school employees for daring to wear pro-life t-shirts to class.

School officials, including the principal and several teachers, on over a dozen occasions during April 2008, told “K. B.” not to wear the t-shirts, publicly singled him out for ridicule in front of his classmates, removed him from class, sent him to the principal’s office, forced him to turn his pro-life t-shirt inside out, and threatened him with suspension if he did not stop wearing the offending pro-life t-shirts.

I always find a brief, respectful letter expressing concerns to those in authority can make a difference; on almost every occasion that I’ve written an e-mail expressing my outrage over unconstitutional harassment, I get a response. Educational institutions, whether they be primary schools or universities, are especially concerned about their reputation, so the more they are inundated with notes of disapproval, the more likely they are to reform their behavior. Therefore, I leave to you, dear readers, the following contact information:

Keith Kamrath, Chairman of the School Board: kkamrath@hutchtel.net

Julie Ashbaugh, Vice Chairperson of the School board: ashbaugh@hutchtel.net

Daron VanderHeiden, Superintendent of Schools: daronv@hutch.k12.mn.us

Allen Stoeckman, Assistant Superintendent of Schools: allens@hutch.k12.mn.us

Todd Grina, President of Hutchinson Middle School: toddg@hutch.k12.mn.us

Bill Carlson, Assistant Principal: billcn@hutch.k12.mn.us