SAF Hails Victory for Free Speech in New Jersey School Case

5/20/2003

From: Alan Gottlieb of the Second Amendment Foundation, 425-454-7012; Web: http://www.saf.org

BELLEVUE, Wash., May 20 -- The Second Amendment Foundation (SAF) today congratulated the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs (ANJRPC) for resolving its lawsuit against the Montclair, N.J. Board of Education, which had allowed anti-gun materials to be distributed in the school, but not pro-Second Amendment materials.

"This settlement will put school districts around the country on notice that they can no longer prevent both sides of the Second Amendment debate from being heard," said SAF Founder Alan Gottlieb. "Such a ruling is long overdue."

In June 2000, the Montclair School Board distributed materials from Ceasefire New Jersey, an anti-gun organization, for students to carry home. These materials announced a rally sponsored by the gun control group in support of so-called "Smart Gun" legislation then being considered by the State Assembly.

In response, Moms for Gun Safety (MGS) sought to distribute a flyer to students calling for a rally opposing the legislation, but the school board denied that request. MGS and ANJRPC sued the school board for violating their First Amendment right of free speech, and their Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.

A court-ordered settlement -- the first of its kind in the nation -- requires the school district to distribute three pro-gun leaflets promoting ANJRPC's 2003 education and training events for youth and women. The agreement also allows ANJRPC access to the schools to conduct events including art and essay contests, creation of a student club and to grant scholarships.

"Over the years," Gottlieb noted, "anti-gun sentiment has crept into the classroom, into text books and into the decisions of school boards about what is, and is not, acceptable on campuses relating to firearm civil rights. The New Jersey case will serve as a reminder to anti-gun educators that there are two sides to this important issue, and both sides deserve equal exposure.

"Unlike the gun control crowd," Gottlieb concluded, "ANJRPC never approached the school district with the expectation that they would stifle the other side's voice. They merely wanted equal access. ANJRPC and Moms for Gun Safety have proven that they are as dedicated to the First Amendment as they are the Second."

The Second Amendment Foundation 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 600,000 members and supporters and conducts many programs designed to better inform the public about the consequences of gun control. SAF has previously funded successful firearms-related suits against the cities of Los Angeles; New Haven, Conn.; and San Francisco on behalf of American gun owners, a lawsuit against the cities suing gun makers & an amicus brief & fund for the Emerson case holding the Second Amendment as an individual right.