ROCKTON, Ill. (AP) — A school district in northern Illinois has agreed to pay $35,000 to settle a lawsuit by a former student who supports gun rights and claims her rights were violated during a walkout in 2018.
Madison Oster said she and allies were told to stand on a sidewalk while pro-gun control students at Hononegah Community High School held a protest on the football field, a month after a school shooting in Parkland, Florida, the Rockford Register Star reported.
“One student yelled at Madison to kill herself. Another student took pictures of Madison’s group, one of which reportedly became an online meme and method of ridicule” among students, the lawsuit stated.
Oster was 16 and a junior at the time. She argued that her rights to free speech, due process and equal protection were violated by school officials.