Students for Life sends legal letter to George Mason University

Students for Life of America (SFLA) sent a legal demand letter to George Mason University (GMU), located in Virginia, accusing the Center for Cultural Equity and Empowerment (CCEE) of violating the rights of Students for Life at GMU.

“It's early yet in the legal process, and we hope that the school will show equal concern for all students, welcoming them to participate in campus life and conversation,” SFLA Press Strategist and Staff Writer Caroline Wharton told Campus Reform.

The Sept. 21 letter to CCEE and the Black African Heritage and Caribbean Coalition (BLACC) demanded the organizations be “held accountable” after launching an alleged “smear campaign” against SFL at GMU.

Earlier this month, BLACC shared a statement that condemned SFL at GMU’s Sept. 7 activism event “Abortion is Not A Right.” The event was one stop on a national tour sponsored by SFLA, and included flyers that equated abortion to other rights injustices, including slavery and Jim Crow. 

[RELATED: UPDATE: Campbell University reverses course on blocking pro-life event]

BLACC accused the chapter of using “offensive insinuations and oppressive implications,” and alleged the group used slavery as a “pawn in a game of woke chess” to “trick people into agreeing with [their] anti-abortion views.” 

CCEE then issued an online statement informing students it was “working closely with black student leaders to repair harm,” the letter states.

“Both the Coalition and the Equity Center, an administrative arm of GMU, skipped all steps toward reconciliation and opted for immediate public shaming and unfounded accusations against Students for Life at GMU,” the letter states. “It is incredibly telling that Equity Center would, in a reflective fashion, with no investigation into the situation, affirm comments made by the Coalition.”

The letter further alleges that SFL at GMU members were subjected to “harassing posts and comments” on social media.

“The failure to investigate the events and enforce proper procedures for disputes violates due process and the fundamental rights of both Students for Life at GMU and the student members of that group, and ignores the facts surrounding the evils of abortion,” the letter claims.

[RELATED: Pro-life group cites safety concerns as reason for canceling campus event]

SFLA demanded that “GMU reprimand [BLACC]” and both organizations issue an apology to the pro-life chapter. SFLA also demanded that the organizations “cease all harassment and shaming of Students for Life at GMU, and hold students and employees in those groups accountable for their actions.”

SFLA gave a five-day deadline to submit proof of compliance

SFL at GMU President Ken Meekins told Campus Reform the group is hopeful that GMU will cooperate. Meekins is also a Campus Reform Correspondent.

“We hope the school makes BLACC retract their statement about our organization and [puts out] a formal apology,” he said.

The GMU chapter quickly became the face of pro-abortion harassment at the start of the fall semester. 

Last month, the chapter was reportedly harassed for hours by an unidentified man during a club fair. The man is seen on video stealing the chapter’s recruitment material and disposing of it in the trash can.

The man justified his actions by claiming the group “took away a women’s right to choose.”

Pro-abortion protesters also handed out coat hangers during the group’s Sept. 7 event. A petition was created in response to the event to suspend SFL at GMU from campus.

“We also hope that this letter brings attention to the harassment we have faced and holds the other organizations involved accountable,” Meekins concluded.

Campus Reform contacted SFLA, GMU, and both organizations for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

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