Republican senators warn historic museums ahead of pro-life march: ‘Respect’ free speech

FIRST ON FOX: Without Republicans. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Todd Young, R-Indiana, are calling on Washington, DC’s historical museums to “respect” the First Amendment rights of pro-life protesters who are expected to descend on the city on Friday.

“This peaceful exercise of First Amendment rights has historically provided participants with a positive and welcoming experience in our nation’s capital,” the senators wrote in a letter to the National Air and Space Museum. Smithsonian and the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

Two years ago, the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum booted several Catholic students and their chaperones for wearing pro-life clothing. Students and chaperones from Our Lady of the Rosary School in Greenville, South Carolina traveled to Washington, DC, to participate in the annual National March for Life. The group stood out in matching blue caps with the words “Rosary PRO-LIFE”.

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At the time, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), which represented the parents of some of the students, claimed that museum staff mocked the group, used expletives and argued that the museum was a “neutral zone ” which prohibits political or religious messages.

In a settlement reached on March 18, 2024, the Smithsonian Institution settled a lawsuit with students withdrawn from the National Air and Space Museum for wearing pro-life hats. As part of the settlement, the Smithsonian agreed to give students a tour and an apology, update its policy on religious and political speech clothing for security staff in public, share video footage and details from investigating the incident and pay $50,000.

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“While we are pleased that the victims of this harassment have received justice, it is clear that it should never have happened in the first place. No amount of money could truly alleviate the heinous acts – the officers who wear the badge and the force of the federal government openly intimidated and violated the first amendment rights of peaceful students,” the senators wrote to the museums last week.

“Furthermore, American taxpayers footed the bill for the egregious behavior of Smithsonian Institution employees and the apparent lack of proper training. This cannot happen again,” they said.

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That same year, NARA settled a lawsuit in December 2023 after staff asked visitors to remove pro-life clothing during the March for Life protest earlier that year. The visitors, also represented by the ACLJ, claimed their First Amendment rights were violated. NARA apologized, admitted the incident violated its policies, and agreed to pay $10,000 in legal fees while implementing staff training to prevent future violations.

The senators are asking the institutions to answer questions about whether they have followed prior agreements regarding the treatment of visitors who display religious or political messages and whether staff have been reminded of policies protecting free speech. NARA is also being asked to commit to maintaining these protections after a key precautionary measure expires in January 2025. The two agencies have been asked to provide detailed explanations of their actions and preparations.

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In an email to Fox News Digital, Smithsonian Institution spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson said, “We will correspond with the senators.”

NARA did not respond to a request for comment by press deadline.