Two teenagers have asked the Downingtown Area School District to issue them an apology after the school’s dean of academics and student life berated them during an anti-abortion protest.
Conner and Lauren Haines, 16 and 19 years old respectively, filmed Dr. Zack Ruff screaming while they demonstrated against abortion. The heated exchange occurred for about 20 minutes as the teens and school administrator argued about whether they could legally protest outside Downingtown STEM Academy.
Ruff “willfully, intentionally and aggressively approached within inches of Conner’s face and eventually attempted to rip a sign out of his hands,” read a letter drafted by the Alliance Defending Freedom, which is representing the siblings.
Many parents and students have accused the pro-life protesters of obstructing traffic and distracting drivers with graphic images of abortions. Ruff supporters have allegedly sent “hundreds of messages” to the Haines since the incident took place on April 21.
“Some of those comments were threatening and vulgar. This hostility to the First Amendment by the next generation may be even more dangerous than that of a school,” the letter read.
Conner Haines denied harassing drivers, but did admit to displaying disturbing content in protest of the “holocaust of abortion.”
The Haines are not students within the school district. They are asking for an apology and guarantee they can demonstrate outside STEM without being turned away.
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Ruff is on administrative leave pending a formal investigation by the school district. An online petition in support of Ruff has now garnered more than 41,000 signatures in favor of keeping Ruff on staff. Parents and community members also gathered Wednesday for a meeting with the schoolboard to discuss his fate. The majority of the people who attended showed their support.
"The way he acted was not appropriate for the audience," Maisy Meyer, a student at the school, said. "But I believe that it was completely out of intention of protecting his students."
Only three people during the meeting argued against Ruff, including Bob Byrne, a parent of a student at the school.
"He behaved in a way that was bigoted," Byrne said. "He certainly was closeminded."
The District is currently reviewing surveillance video of the incident. A disciplinary hearing will be held once the investigation is complete.
