Pro-life teens seek apology from STEM Academy administrator

Two teenagers who protested outside of the Downingtown STEM Academy are seeking an apology from the administrator who became involved in a heated exchange during their anti-abortion protest.

Zachary Ruff, dean of academics and student life at STEM Academy, approached the protesters outside of the school and asked them to leave. Alliance Defending Freedom, a faith-based organization, is representing anti-abortion protesters Lauren and Conner Haines. The group is seeking an apology from Downingtown School District officials and an acknowledgement that the protesters had a right to demonstrate outside the school on a public sidewalk on April 21. Protester Conner Haines filmed part of the interaction and posted it online.

Ruff, a district employee for 15 years, has since been placed on administrative leave following the heated interaction with

the protesters. A disciplinary hearing will be held after the district concludes its investigation into the incident.

Alliance Defending Freedom said it wants to affirm the freedom of speech “on behalf of two teens berated by a school official for peacefully engaging in free speech about abortion.”

As the video went viral and received national media attention, a petition circulated in the school district seeking to support Ruff and ask school board members to reinstate the populat administrator. The petition had nearly 43,000 signatures by Thursday evening.

According to Alliance Defending Freedom, the siblings have received hundreds of messages since the protest outside of STEM Academy, including some that were “threatening and

vulgar.”

Alliance Defending Freedom said that Ruff was seen on video angrily shouting at the siblings and he was “attempting to rip a sign out of their hands in a manner that legally constitutes assault.” Conner Haines videotaped 18 minutes of the interaction between him and Ruff, much of which depicted Ruff confronting the duo and Ruff responding by cursing and saying that the fetuses are cells, not children.

Alliance Defending Freedom Wednesday sent a letter addressed to Downingtown Area School District Superintendent Lawrence Mussoline. In the letter, ADF attorneys representing the Haines family ask the school district to explain to Downingtown STEM Academy employees, students, and parents the notion of freedom of speech and the right to speak on the sidewalks around the public school. They further request that the school district and Ruff send a letter to the two

teenagers acknowledging the violation of their rights of free speech and to assure that it won’t happen again.

“No one should ever be harassed and berated by a government employee on a public sidewalk simply for peacefully engaging in one of the most common free speech activities,” said ADF Senior Counsel Kevin Theriot. “The severity of this situation, as easily seen in the video, makes what we are requesting of the school district so necessary. This can never happen again, and the school district should ensure that both Conner and Lauren – as well as anyone else who would engage in protected free speech – feel confident that it won’t.”

District spokeswoman Patricia McGlone Thursday said the administration had no comment on the letter, and she said that the district apologized for Ruff’s behavior on its district website back on April 27 when district officials became aware of the incident.

“We do not condone or support the conduct expressed in the video and are deeply disappointed that this incident occurred,” the district statement reads in part. “His conduct does not represent the values of the school district or the respect we expect our employees to show for the civil rights of others.”

In a school newsletter on April 28, Mussoline explained that he received emails supporting and opposing the decision to suspend Ruff. He said that some people did not think that the confrontation merited the move, but he disagreed.

The letter from Alliance Defending Freedom asks for a response by May 14 and explains that legal action may be necessary if the district doesn’t immediately respect the free speech rights of Lauren and Conner Haines.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Downingtown STEM Academy students created a petition to reinstate administrator Zachary Ruff, right, who was suspended for his response to anti-abortion protesters outside of his school.