FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO): On Friday, Nov. 18, Created Equal protesters were at South Side High School.
Principal Carlton Mable was recorded telling anti-abortion protesters to “get off school property.”
“As the principal said in the video, had they gone across the street that would have been fine,” Fort Wayne Community Schools Spokesperson Krista Stockman said. “It’s just they were impeding students trying to get home from school. Whether they like it or not, these are children. They may be in high school, but they are children.”
Created Equal told the Fort Wayne Police Department about the incident. The police department said that Mable couldn’t remove the protesters from the sidewalk, according to Created Equal.
“Preborn defenders have been experiencing an increase in vandalism and violence at campuses across the country,” Mark Harrington, Created Equal National Director said. “Unfortunately, to some school officials, public sidewalks are considered their own private social club in which they feel they can wield control and censor free speech.”
You can see the full video below.
WOWO received this information from Created Equal, an anti-abortion group.
10 comments
Principle was DEAD right. Nothing belongs on school property except government owned children.
At least that is what He thinks. That is His opinion. His opinion is, as the Police explained, WRONG.
You spelled principal WRONG. Also, the police did not explain his opinion to be wrong.
So teach them it’s right to attack others’ Constitutional rights if you’re offended. That violence is OK to restore your own little “safe zones”? What about the covenant to respect rights and uphold our covenants one with another? Anarchy now rules the government’s schools while teaching phony tolerance for just one viewpoint, the state’s
If you have never been near Southside High School during dismissal, you probably won’t understand. Students are leaving, busses are loading, parents are arriving to pick up students AND some of us are bringing students from other schools to the Natatorium for swim practice. It is extremely congested with both pedestrians and vehicles. Confusing enough without adding to the chaos. Perhaps both sides need to slow down and think. The principal could have used more tact but was concerned with the safety of students. The demonstrators could have had the same effect on the other side of the street but in a safer way for all.
I would have been just as upset as the principal if I was dropping my child off at school and those protesters where there at her school. Some things do not belong around the schools of young children.
My kids go to Southside and they showed me what they were handed. There were pictures of aborted fetuses in chunks. My sophmore is autistic and I find the whole thing disgusting. Go Principal Mable! If it had been my day to pick up my kids I would have been right there next to him as a parent saying get away from these kids. I have four kids in Southside and my autistic daughter is still very upset by the photos she seen. Alot of these kids are 14, 15 yrs old. Not appropriate material for them to see especially the students that have exceptionallitys ( I don’t like to call them disabled).
Hi Amanda, thanks for the comment.
We would love to get a parent’s perspective of the event. Could you email us at news@wowo.com your phone number and we could give you a call? Thanks!
These anti-abortion people are getting their panties in a bunch. I understand that free speech is something we have in america, but it disgusts me that they felt the need to stand on the school sidewalk as school was getting out. While the street may be a high traffic area, it is next to a school (literally less than 10 ft) where there are still undeveloped minds. The images placed on the boards, and from what one mom has said from a handout, are very graphic and should not be given to young people – especially since 90% of them are under 18 years old. There is a difference between educating and scaring young people. If you want a child to go into adoption (where there are already too many children who don’t get adopted because it is very difficult to adopt) then scare young people instead of educating them. If you want there to be less abortions, comprehensive safe-sex education should be mandatory in high school. It is 2016 not 1950, sex sells, and almost everyone has sex before marriage. I think it is ridiculous that a group from Columbus, OH is going to try to take legal action against a school district in Fort Wayne, IN (which is about 3 hours away), just because a principal was trying to protect his students from disturbing images. Seriously Ohio, mind your own beeswax.
The protestors are despicable! As someone who completely supports the right to protest peacefully, I am outraged by the protestors and their tactics. When you are told repeatedly to get off of school property by a principal who has the best interest of the students in mind, then listen! Suing an entire district for an apology is outrageous. It is clear that these protestors seek money. How can you seriously expect an apology? As a parent I would only expect an apology from the principal if he hadn’t intervened. These are 14-17 year old children for goodness sake!
Agreed Amanda! This is so unacceptable! Protesters have their right to free speech but the place choose not for this topic was outrageous! Not only does my child gets their and I’m pissed but all I can think about is what all those little innocent kids thought, you know the middle and elementary students who go their for swimming….these people claim to be about saving lives. So my question to them is how do they justify all those same youths who’s childhood they just destroyed? Ones who are alive and now may be damaged due to this display…Sick! This was not the place and did more harm to their cause the good!