Right to life, freedom of speech clash

Rhode Island College faces lawsuit over removing signs

By Edward Fitzpatrick
Journal Staff Writer

PROVIDENCE — The Rhode Island Affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union yesterday filed a federal lawsuit against Rhode Island College, claiming the public college violated the First Amendment rights of a student group by removing signs that said “Keep your rosaries off our ovaries.”

The Women’s Studies Organization and three of its student officers are asking U.S. District Court in Providence to declare the college’s actions unconstitutional.

“College is a place for the free expression of ideas,” said the student group’s president, Nichole L. Aguiar. “RIC has denied our organization those rights and we have decided to take action to ensure that RIC is a better place for all students.”

A college spokeswoman said the school had not been served with the legal papers as of late yesterday. But in a statement, RIC said, “The college respects and encourages the free speech rights and freedom of expression of all members of the college community as basic elements of higher education.”

The student group said it placed a series of six signs along the entrance to the campus on the evening of Dec. 4, 2005. Aguiar said the group was preparing for activism the following day on women’s issues such as reproductive freedom and “specifically, the refusal of contraception by pharmacists.”

The signs, when read together, stated, “Keep your rosaries off our ovaries,” “Our bodies, our choice,” and “Brought to you by RIC Women’s Studies Organization.”

But according to the lawsuit, a Catholic priest saw the signs a couple of hours after they went up as he drove onto campus to conduct a weekly Mass at the college president’s residence. And when the priest mentioned the signs, President John Nazarian immediately contacted the campus police and ordered them to take the signs down, according to the suit.

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