Anti-abortion student club at UVic launches lawsuit

An undergraduate student group that opposes abortion is suing the University of Victoria Students’ Society over the removal of its funding and official club status.

Youth Protecting Youth filed a petition in B.C. Supreme Court on May 3, claiming students’ society leaders took away the privileges because they disagreed with the views of club members.

According to the petition, the club was disciplined, in part, for placing posters around campus and hosting Stephanie Gray, a controversial anti-abortion activist.

Youth Protecting Youth wants the court to reinstate the funding and club status, and find the decisions by the UVic students’ society to be illegal.

“We have watched pro-life student groups throughout the province, and across the country, face the stifling and discriminatory decisions of student societies that deny them funding or club status,” reads a statement from club president Anastasia Pearse.

“Our aims are to promote choices that protect unborn human beings and their mothers from the harm of abortion,” Pearse continues. “We should be granted equal opportunity to share our message.”

The UVic students’ society could not be immediately reached for comment.

Youth Protecting Youth is represented in the lawsuit by Vancouver lawyer Joseph Arvay. The club also has support from the B.C. Civil Liberties Association in the legal action.

Comments

4 Comments

PeterK

May 4, 2010 at 2:36pm

“Our aims are to promote choices"

Is this a typo? I think they mean remove choices ..

tim.

May 4, 2010 at 2:53pm

has anyone seen some of these anti-choice groups' tactics? they are incredibly offensive and brink on harassment. they chase students around with huge placards of dead fetuses and they compare it to the holocaust.

i'm kind of disappointed at the BCCLA's involvement in this issue.

No they don't

May 4, 2010 at 11:23pm

Check your facts. These are the tamest anti-choicers around. It's documented, actually (the posters and stuff...)

Frank Stiller

May 14, 2010 at 7:39pm

It's Freedom of Speech, deal with it. If you don't like it, take the next flight to North Korea.