A group of social work students peacefully protested the screening of an anti-abortion film organized by the Campus Catholic Ministry (CCM) in the Wilson Hall Auditorium, on Monday, Feb. 17.
The film, titled Unplanned, is a 2019 drama based on Abby Johnson’s memoir of the same name.
Johnson was a Director at a Planned Parenthood facility, but after assisting with an ultrasound guided abortion, she became an anti-abortion advocate.
Kailey Monteiro, a junior social work student, organized the protest.
She said: “As a social work student, I am held to a strong ethical and evidence-based position on reproductive justice from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Code of Ethics. I did not want to stand by while this event occurred on campus, as I feel it is my responsibility as a future Social Worker to advocate for a woman’s right to choose.”
Brittany Macluso, a junior social work student, participated in the protest of this event because it violated the NASW Code of Ethics.
Macluso said, “We have to abide by these laws and I feel like this as a social worker, and my friend who is also here also agrees… This says a lot about what we stand for as a community at [Monmouth University] and I don’t think that’s representative of all people that are here.”
The screening was promoted via the University’s official Instagram page, and that was seen as unacceptable by Monteiro.
“I have a strong belief that everyone on campus should feel included and welcome. This event was insensitive to our students as some may have had experienced abortion or other types of reproductive care. I strongly believe that Monmouth University should have a neutral stance on this topic in order to make all students feel accepted and comfortable,” she said.
Abby Miller, President of the Catholic Campus Ministry and a senior social work student, explained that she expected some form of protest at the event.
“I think it’s good to have different opposing views, and it [the protest] doesn’t bother me,” said Miller. “I’m open to discussion. As long as we’re civil, it’s fine. We’re screening this to bring awareness to the Pro-Life movement,” she said.
Macaluso added that “As a social worker I believe that we need separation of church and state clearly labeled out within our profession because if you have a client that walks in saying that they are pregnant, you need to give them all options.”
“Opinions are strong and amazing to have but within our profession they need to be left on the back burner when connecting with clients,” she said.
Miller continued, “As a social worker, I think it’s really important to stand up for the most vulnerable population, the unborn. That’s my drive to be a social work major, contrary to what a lot of other social work majors would probably believe.”
The issue of women’s reproductive health has been a hot-button for over 50 years. In two separate cases, Roe v. Wade and lesser-known Doe v. Bolton, the U.S. Supreme Court determined the Constitution does allow women the right to choose. In a 7-2 decision, Justice Harry Blackmun gave the decision under the 14th Amendment’s clause of privacy.
According to the Los Angeles Times, 37 states introduced new legislation to ban or protect abortion in 2019.
Celine Powell, a junior communication student said, “As the President of College Republicans, we [the Monmouth University College Republicans] did not co-sponsor the event, however we do support their beliefs so we shared the flyers and attended the event as supporters.”
Mark Marrone, a graduate business student and Entertainment Editor for The Outlook, offered insight about the controversial film’s production.
“Typically, Christain films are very forward with their message to the point where it may feel brainwashing to those who are unfamiliar with the faith genre,” he said. “However, Unplanned is the rare case where if viewers are uneducated on the matter, the film provides a strong pro-life angle that is convincing. It is also one of the top three highest grossing films from faith-based production studio PureFlix, so the film’s message has touched many.”
John Spinelli, a sophomore political science student and member of the Catholic Campus Ministry, said, “We just want to create respectful dialogue and obviously some people, have different opinions on this issue, and we just want to talk and compare sides. We want people to understand where we are coming from. We’re hoping for a good movie showing, and hope that people could understand and communicate with them.”
According to Yendeli Bello, a senior political science student, “All people have the right to their own opinion, and the right to defend their opinion continuously. I do believe however that there should be a separation of those opinions in certain settings, like a university for example. The Catholic Ministry having a screening against abortion on campus gives students the idea that if they are not pro-life they are not welcome in the Catholic community. College campuses are supposed to be about inclusiveness, and having an event like this creates a bigger divide than there already is.”
Ruby Branyan, a freshman music production student, said, “I am vehemently pro-choice… Pro-choice is about choice, freedom, so if you don’t want to get an abortion you don’t have to, but that doesn’t mean you can tell me what I can do with my body or tell anybody else what to do with their body.”
PHOTO TAKEN by Ray Romanski
