A security officer at the National Archives and Records Administration is allegedly no longer working there after a lawsuit claimed he told visitors from March for Life to remove or cover up clothing bearing pro-life messages, according to a new report.
Archivist Debra Steidel Wall disclosed the information in a letter about the incident from Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, obtained and reported by The Daily Signal.
“This action was contrary to NARA policy,” Wall reportedly said in the letter. “The irony that this happened just steps away from the permanent display of the original Bill of Rights is not lost on me or any of the employees who proudly welcome more than one million annual visitors to the Museum.”
Wall noted that “NARA’s policy explicitly allows visitors to the museum to wear clothing that expresses their political and religious viewpoints.”
MARCH FOR LIFE VISITORS TO NATIONAL ARCHIVES TOLD TO ‘REMOVE OR COVER’ PRO-LIFE ATTIRE: LAWSUIT
Fox News reached out to the National Archives for comment, but they did not immediately respond.
Wall’s letter reportedly explained that the security officers are private contractors, and that the vendor they used investigated the matter and found out that one of their supervisors “provided instructions to other security officers who work for the same vendor that were contrary to our policy.”
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Wall added: “The vendor has removed this supervisor from NARA’s contract, and that individual is no longer working in any NARA facility.”
Cruz lauded the National Archives for taking “the necessary steps” in handling the situation, the Daily Signal reported.
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“The First Amendment rights of pro-life visitors should never have been infringed to begin with,” Cruz said. “These rights, like the documents housed at the National Archives, are foundational, and must be protected for everyone.”
The National Archives previously apologized for the incident after visitors brought a lawsuit filed by the American Center for Law and Justice. NARA reached a preliminary agreement with the plaintiffs last week and offered them a personal tour.