BELLEVUE, WA – -(AmmoLand.com)-The Second Amendment Foundation announced today that it is supporting and funding an Illinois High School student’s civil rights lawsuit against her local school district and three school officials for discrimination under color of law.
Madison Oster, 16, and her father, Jeremy, are plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the Hononegah Community High School District 207, Supt. Michael J. Dugan, Executive Associate Principal Chad Dougherty and Principal Eric Flohr. The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Western Division. Plaintiffs are represented by Glen Ellyn attorney David Sigale.
The lawsuit alleges that on March 14, 2018, Madison and a few other students wanted to express pro-Second Amendment school safety messages during a planned “walkout” by other students calling for gun control measures in response to the Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida. Madison’s small group was separated from the walkout, which was held on the football field, “out of everyone else’s sight or hearing.”
The complaint says Dougherty would not allow the pro-gun rights students onto the football field, requiring them instead to stand with their signs on a sidewalk, outside the football field and separated from it by part of the parking lot.
“When Madison asked Dougherty why her group was not allowed on the field with everyone else, he suggested that they would disturb the peace and start a fight,” the complaint asserts.
Also, the lawsuit alleges that Flohr called Madison and her group “troublemakers.” After the walkout, Dougherty allegedly “subjected Madison’s group to the taunts of their classmates by holding them aside while all of the other students walked past them into the building. One student yelled at Madison to kill herself. Another student took pictures of Madison’s group, one of which reportedly became an online meme and method of ridicule among the other HCHS students.”
“Social prejudice is wrong, no matter who is practicing or enabling it,” said SAF founder and Executive Vice President Alan M. Gottlieb. “It is unconscionable for school officials to allow this sort of thing, much less enable it. That’s why we’re supporting Madison and her father. Students with different viewpoints retain their free speech rights. When school officials allow those students to be harassed and bullied, something must be done. And we’re just the ones to do it.
“First Amendment rights are just as important as Second Amendment rights,” he said, “especially when being used to protect those Second Amendment rights.”
The Second Amendment Foundation (www.saf.org) is the nation’s oldest and largest tax-exempt education, research, publishing and legal action group focusing on the Constitutional right and heritage to privately own and possess firearms. Founded in 1974, The Foundation has grown to more than 650,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control.
Respectfully, this is a ridiculous article. The articles being published are biased and inaccurate. Not a single article has mentioned that the walk-out was planned by a student group independent from any school officials. That student group decided on where, when, and how the walk-out was carried out. The student group decided to go onto the field. Not one news group has reached out to this group to hear both sides of the story. If they had, everyone would be praising this school and the officials. If someone took the time to get an accurate understanding of these events, they… Read more »
First off he did let them into the foot ball field but was worried for their safety so there was hesitation but he ultimately let them in with a sarcastic bow. Chad Dougherty is an amazing person with a huge heart. I honestly think he was worried about their safety for real. Like he helped me from committing suicide when I was in middle school and he was my teacher before he became a principal. His intentions are good. I can’t say for the other principles. Mr. Dougherty May have been acting on his bosses instruction but he did ultimately… Read more »
a d-rat d-sucker will do anything
Can we assume that everyone posting here (except maybe pi 314) has made at least a small contribution to SAF? Or better yet, joined as a member?
@ Usa2RKBA….Oh, here we go again, with the tactic of reverse projection designed to muddy the waters. And an Internet Address originating from the eastern end of the Med. What does USA2RKBA stand for ? Maybe UNITED STATES OF AMERICA SECOND, ROTTEN KHAZARS BREAK AMERICA ! ?!? Just another triggered snowflake troll, no doubt in the service of the enemy within.
I tried to email the Superintendent, Dougherty’s boss, but could not. The not so superintendent’s direct telephone number is (815) 624-5005. Shame on Executive Associate Principal Chad Dougherty and Principal Eric Flohr for suppressing the First Amendment rights to associate and speak in support of our Second Amendment. What were they trying to teach, how to be nice docile slaves?
Does anybody have the address of the school board for this high school? We all need to contact them, and demand the administrators be canned for this blatant violation of the students 1st Amendment guaranteed rights.
The lefty’s agenda shows through. Everyone has the right to say what they feel, as long it’s the same as we do. Otherwise, you’ll be called troublemakers, and not allowed to speak. That’s their new definition of ‘freedom of speech. Reminds me of a fellow called Adolph.
@VT….Yes, they learned their lessons very well. And they are real pushy now, since they think they got away with 911, and suckered all the Americans into fighting all their wars for them. And with all those pilfered nuclear Pitts from the Davey Crockets, they think they have one hell of a Samson Option. Is it any wonder they spearhead the anti gun agenda ?
The left and It’s teachers unions have brainwashed the next gen. of adults (school grad.) If you think it’s bad now just wait . 95% of our school teachers vote D and belong to a teachers union . If you are a R or C you don’t have a chance.
We are seeing the results of the Internationale’s (Communist Party International) successful infiltration of our educational system, mass media, and political parties. “Social Democrats” are now crawling out from under their rocks and we see RINOs in abundance on the fields of the political landscape. Our Republic is being dismantled before our very eyes by the arch-enemies of Freedom, selectively using our Bill of Rights to abolish them.The political establishment in Washington and elsewhere is concertedly dividing this nation into contentious factions and the Rule of Law is being systematically destroyed-a la the denial of police protection by the mayor… Read more »
No, what we are witnessing is a failure on the part of the media to do responsible and thorough investigation and reporting. This article is full of inaccuracies, but no one questions them.
Be polite and frequent with your comments, here is the executive principals email address ([email protected]).
Watch your grammar they love holding these mistakes up claiming we are all “hicks from the sticks”.
Remind him that they (educators) should teach government (the class), and show with their actions no personal bias. The constitution is the law of the land to teach, what they would like to see is a disservice to their students. Our forefathers understood Tyranny and designed the constitution around our protection.
ill bet that isn’t his real name. I’ll bet that he or his family changed their name once upon a time. To make themselves seem more “American”.
One would have to work hard to make a post any more stupid than that @Lord-Pi. Tell us – what is an “American” name? I’m guessing you are a lefty troll.
@NoBull….I got you triggered, right, snowflake ? Trolling for WhiningBerg, are you ? How come your IP address is coming from the eastern end of the Med ?
For leftists, incitement of mobs and mob violence is quickly becoming their preferred instrument of choice to suppress dissenting voices: Berkley, ANTIFA, Ferguson, BLM, Mad Maxine Waters, etc. Their faux cries of outrage in response to Trump rallies remind me of my favorite Harry Truman quote, “I never did give them hell. I just told the truth, and they thought it was hell.”
and this sort of action is plainly spelled out in both Marx and Alinsky. Remember, our former fraudulent chief executive has read and studied both, and worked hard to implement them both in his “community organizing” efforts before he managed to have someone else’s money grease his crooked way into the White House. I’ve read and studied both of these guys, and am strongly opposed to both, as they lead directly and intentionally to tyranny and slavery. What few realize (perhaps too painful to consider?) is that this precise sort of takeover of the education of our children was part… Read more »
To Madison Oster’s Dad, Jeremy, thank you for using your hard-earned, after-tax dollars to support your daughter’s Second Amendment rights!! We stand with you and support your courage and willingness to stand in the gap for this cause. Also, any school official that creates and openly supports bullying of THEIR OWN students should lose their jobs after issuing a public apology to those students.
@Hiwayman M all true up to the apology part. We do not want their apology. We want their budget, their whole budget and nothing but their whole budget. If this is what is being taught, then the community is better served without a school system.
@Wild Bill – I agree. Well said.
Nail’em ! This leftist shit has to stop.
I am incredibly impressed by the fortitude of the students that stood tall with their message countering the populist anti-gun stance. And I am encouraged by the reaction of the SAF to stand tall with those students when they and their message are not given the same respect as the opposition.