J.A. v. Dixon R-1 School District resource page
Posters at Mo. school not just for zombies anymore
ADF attorney sound bites: Jeremy Tedesco | Matt Sharp
“Public schools should encourage, not shut down, the free exchange of ideas,” said ADF Legal Counsel Jeremy Tedesco. “Students should not be marginalized just because their pro-life views may not line up with school politics. The school district should be commended for agreeing to respect the rights of its students under the First Amendment. Public schools are more likely to succeed when the freedom of ideas is allowed.”
School officials had prohibited the student-sponsored pro-life event’s materials but did not ban other student communications, including a variety of non-curricular material such as photographs of students looking like zombies; announcements promoting the Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network’s Day of Silence; and posters with political and anti-drug messages.
After ADF filed suit, the school district revised its policies and has agreed to allow students to post religious and pro-life material along with other materials at locations designated by school officials.
“Public school officials cannot pick and choose what messages they are going to allow based on which viewpoints they prefer,” said ADF Litigation Counsel Matt Sharp. “The new policy revisions ensure that this type of unconstitutional discrimination will no longer occur.”
In light of the policy revisions, ADF filed a voluntary dismissal of the case, J.A. v. Dixon R-1 School District, on May 31 with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, Southern Division.
Springfield attorney Douglas Fredrick, one of nearly 2,100 attorneys in the ADF alliance, served as local counsel in the case.
- Pronunciation guide: Tedesco (Tuh-DESS’-ko)
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ABOUT Matt Sharp
Matt Sharp serves as senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, where he is the director of the Center for Public Policy. In this role, he leads ADF's team of policy experts as they craft legislation and advise government officials on policies that promote free speech, religious freedom, parental rights, and the sanctity of human life. Since joining ADF in 2010, Sharp has authored federal and state legislation, regularly provides testimony and legal analysis on how proposed legislation will impact constitutional freedoms, and advises governors, legislators, and state and national policy organizations on the importance of laws and policies that protect First Amendment rights. He has twice testified before the U.S. Congress on the importance of protecting free speech and religious liberty in federal law. Sharp also authored an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of nearly 9,000 students, parents, and community members asking the court to uphold students’ right to privacy against government intrusion. Sharp earned his J.D. in 2006 from the Vanderbilt University School of Law. A member of the bar in Georgia and Tennessee, he is also admitted to practice in several federal courts.