Students at Lexington high school walk out in protest over abortion rights

Students at Lexington’s Henry Clay High School on Friday joined others in Kentucky who have protested the draft opinion leaked from the Supreme Court that has fueled conversation about reproductive healthcare and abortion.

Principal Paul Little confirmed that the protest involving about 100 students occurred about 1 p.m. Friday.

“We allowed them enough time to express themselves and for several of them to talk with the media,” said Little. “This took about 20 minutes I’m guessing. Afterwards I told them they did a good job with the protest and then asked them to please return to class, which they respectfully did.“

The ACLU of Kentucky on Thursday wrote an open letter to Kentucky school officials reminding them of their obligation to uphold students’ free speech rights. Students at other schools in Kentucky have walked out in protest of the draft opinion, the letter said.

Abortion access in Kentucky could come to an abrupt end if the U.S. Supreme Court’s draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade is handed down this summer, the Herald-Leader has reported.

According to a draft ruling written by Justice Samuel Alito, the Supreme Court intends to reverse five decades of constitutional protection for abortion and cede regulatory power of the medical procedure to states.