March for Life visitors to National Archives told to 'remove or cover' pro-life attire: lawsuit
National Archives apologizes for incident after lawsuit alleges security officer told group that pro-life message was 'disturbing the peace'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A lawsuit has been filed against the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) alleging that guests were ordered to removed clothing from the March for Life to gain entrance.
The suit, filed by the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), alleges that a group of visitors to the National Archives were told to remove or cover articles of clothing with pro-life messages.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The National Archives building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C., 1973. It is the original headquarters of the National Archives and Records Administration. (Harvey Meston/Archive Photos/Getty Images)
According to the ACLJ, a security officer at the archives told the group that their political apparel was "disturbing the peace" and could "incite others." The text of the pro-life shirt reportedly read, "MARCH 4 LIFE 2014: Saint Cecilia's Youth Group, Glen Carbon, IL."
The National Archives released a statement Friday about the altercation and subsequent lawsuit.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Pro-Life demonstrators walking on the National Mall during the 2023 March for Life. (Brooke Curto/Fox News Digital)
"Earlier this week, a lawsuit was filed against the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) stating that on the morning of January 20, 2023, the day of the March for Life, several visitors to our museum in Washington, D.C., were told by NARA security officers 'to remove or cover their attire because of their pro-life messages,'" the National Archives' statement read.
In its message, the administration acknowledged the symbolism of the alleged incident occurring within the same building housing landmark civil rights documents, such as the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Constitution of the United States is stored under glass in the rotunda of the National Archives. (Tom Williams/Roll Call/Getty Images)
"As the home to the original Constitution and Bill of Rights, which enshrine the rights of free speech and religion, we sincerely apologize for this occurrence," the statement continued.
The National Archives will not comment on the situation further, due to the pending lawsuit.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The National Archives building. (Sarah Silbiger for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
"NARA policy expressly allows all visitors to wear t-shirts, hats, buttons, etc. that display protest language, including religious and political speech. We are actively investigating to determine what happened," the press statement concluded. "Early indications are that our security officers quickly corrected their actions and, from that point forward, all visitors were permitted to enter our facility without needing to remove or cover their attire. We have reminded all of our security officers at our facilities across the country of the rights of visitors in this regard."