Suit Filed in Federal Court over Alan Alda Teen’s Anti-War T-shirt

Sheila Berninger

Suit Filed in Federal Court over Alan Alda Teen’s Anti-War T-shirt

Philadelphia, PA- Two Philadelphia residents filed a federal lawsuit Friday, claiming that their daughter’s First Amendment right to free expression was violated when she was suspended for wearing an anti-war T-shirt. Rose and Marty Urban filed the lawsuit on behalf of their daughter Colleen Urban, a sophomore at Alan Alda High School. On Friday, 15-year-old Urban wore a T-shirt printed with the phrase, “If there is a God, she would end the war in Iraq,” to school.

“She’s not in a great frame of mind right now, but she really wasn’t trying to disrupt anything—she just wanted to state her opinion about the war,” Rose Urban said. “This is America, isn’t it? All of us—and that includes students—should be allowed to say what we want,” Marty Urban said.

Conflict over the T-shirt began when Jan Gorlin, a history teacher at the school, saw Urban’s T-shirt in class. In front of other students, Gorlin told Urban, “I only teach students who really value what America stands for,” and, “You brought this on yourself—this would be so much easier if you just let God into your heart.” She then grabbed Urban by the arm led her to the principal’s office, Urban says. Urban’s parents argue that Gorlin’s comments violate the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.

Urban claims that the school’s vice principal, Maureen Reed demanded that she change her shirt and hit her in the face with a T-shirt with the school’s logo on it. When Urban refused to change, she was escorted out of the school by a security guard where she waited for her parents to pick her up. The high temperature on Friday was 17 degrees Fahrenheit.

Mike Bauer, principal of the school, says that Urban was suspended for “disrupting the educational environment.”

“We just wanted to ensure that Colleen’s actions didn’t get in the way of learning,” Reed said on behalf of the school district. “We have every right to put a stop to potentially disruptive actions,” Reed added.

The Urbans are being represented by attorney Sheila McGee of the Wilmington, DE, firm Tinker, Evers, and Chance. “The school district’s right to maintain order ends when a student hasn’t disrupted anything,” McGee said. “Students do not leave their opinions and their right to free expression at the schoolhouse gate.