A Maryland university has reversed its ban on a pro-life display exhibited by a student group.
Johns Hopkins University's JHU Voice for Life has manned the display at the school's Spring Fair for the past 30 years.
The pro-life group's display features fetuses at various stages of development, along with a poster highlighting differences between adult and embryonic stem cells. A student committee, along with JHU faculty advisers, initially rejected the display because it "contains triggering and disturbing images."
"We've reviewed your pictures with our advisers and have determined that your display contains triggering and disturbing images and content," the committee wrote in an email to the organisation.
JHU Voice for Life president Andrew Guernsey said the display is supposed to be provocative.
"Abortion is disturbing, that's the reason we have such a table," he affirmed. "Will gay and lesbian groups be banned from Spring Fair because some religious people find homosexual activity 'disturbing'?"
Guernsey said Assistant Director of Student Activities Janet Kirsch was the faculty adviser responsible for the display's rejection. She declined comment.
Following an inquisition by Fox News, the committee reversed its stance.
"We… were wrong in our initial decision and, upon further reflection, have decided we will not impose restrictions on the displays presented by any community groups at Spring Fair," they said in a statement.
The students clarified that JHU Voice for Life was not initially banned from the Spring Fair, only their fetal development display.
"The committee values free speech," they added.
Guernsey pointed out that Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is one of the leading medical schools in the country, and its teaching hospital is one of the best in the world.
"I certainly find it ironic that a university that has dedicated itself to the advancement of medicine and biology would find displaying medically accurate fetal models disturbing and offensive," he said. "I mean, these are images shown in high school textbooks."
