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September 25, 2007

Women's organization settles rosaries-ovaries suit

The Women’s Studies Organization and Rhode Island College have settled after the organization filed suit against the school for taking down signs in 2005 that read “Keep your rosaries off our ovaries,” “Our bodies, our choice,” and “Brought to you by RIC Women’s Studies Organization.”

In a statement from the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, Jennifer Magaw, president of the organization, said she hopes the settlement will encourage other student groups to be more vocal.

“College is a place for the free exchange of ideas and I can now be proud to say I attend a school which allows the free speech rights that are essential to a learning community," she said.

Jane Fusco, a spokeswoman for Rhode Island College, said in a statement today that the school was pleased to have reached an agreement with the Organization.

“The issue was never about free speech or freedom of expression,” she said. “It was a matter of miscommunication of the campus sign policy that has now been clarified.”

The signs were posted in by the group as it got ready for activism the next day on issues such as reproductive health and the refusal of some pharmacists to sell contraceptives.

According to the suit, a Catholic priest saw the signs on his way to weekly Mass at the college president’s home. When he mentioned them, the suit said, President John Nazarian had campus police take them down.

Initially, the college asked for the lawsuit to be dismissed, claiming that it was not a government institution and, therefore, had the right to restrict students’ speech.

That claim was quickly withdrawn at the request of state higher education officials.

Posted by Brandie Jefferson at 2:27 PM | Permalink

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Still confusing; go back to re-write.

You changed the headline from "wins" to "settles," but the first graph still says "awarded."

An award connotes that a judge or jury deliberated and "awarded" damages. If it was a settlement, it's not an award.

brassband | September 25, 2007 6:37 PM link

Once again the ACLU is on the side of indecency.
Go ahead, girls, spend the $5000 on your Plan B pills.

rd | September 25, 2007 7:36 PM link

This article is so badly written as to be nearly unintelligible.

Is this a settlement between the two parties? Or is this a judgment awarded to one of the parties?

And as I recall, the signs were posted in reaction to the President of PC refusing to allow a production of the Vagina Monologues on the PC campus.

Additionally, the signs, visible from Mt. Pleasant Ave., were extremely offensive to many area residents.

Mt. Pleasant Resident | September 26, 2007 12:47 AM link

September 25, 2007

Women's organization settles rosaries-ovaries suit

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