Westboro Baptist Members to Demonstrate at Meade High School

Members of the Westboro Baptist Church will be demonstrating outside the area of Meade High School and Meade Middle School as students arrive Thursday morning, Anne Arundel County Schools Superintendent Kevin Maxwell said in a letter to parents and students.

Maxwell said he and his staff were contacted by the Kansas-based church and emphasized that the event is neither sanctioned nor sponsored by the school system. 

The church is known for its highly charged protests of the funerals of military members, claiming the deaths as punishment for America's acceptance of homosexuals. 

Maxwell emphasized that while the school system does not support the group, "the church has a constitutionally-protected right to free speech, and there is nothing unlawful about the demonstration itself."

The demonstrators will not be allowed to protest on school grounds, and Maxwell said the school system is working closely with the Anne Arundel County and Fort Meade police departments to ensure the safety of the schools' faculty and students.

The Westboro demonstrators will be kept inside a designated area, as will any counter-protesters to their presence, said Maxwell. 

The Maryland Gazette, which first reported the planned protests, said the protest will take place between 6:30 a.m. and 7:15 a.m. Thursday.

The superintendent also said a telephone message will be sent to parents and guardians on Wednesday prior to the event, and encouraged parents to discuss the event with children and explain the circumstances surrounding it. 

"I would encourage you to talk with your children openly about this event and discuss the freedoms that allow it to take place," said Maxwell in the letter. "I would also encourage you to discuss the need to respect the view of others, even if you disagree with those views."