By Chick Customer Dennis D.

For 50 years the Chicago Public School administrators have been deceiving Christians who go to the public sidewalks in front of public schools. You are often told that you cannot be on the public sidewalk next to the public school property. Often, administrators will tell you that that public sidewalk next to the street is school property.

That is a bold lie.

The public sidewalk is a public sidewalk with First Amendment rights attached. On May 23, I went to Proviso East to distribute Chick tracts. The administrator told me to cross the street. I told him the students are not across the street. They are on this side of the street.

He summoned the school cop who told me I have to cross the street. I told him I have First Amendment rights on both sides of the street. He called in a Cook County deputy who drove up on the sidewalk, stopped and told me to cross the street. I told him I had First Amendment rights on both sidewalks. I asked, “Where is your supervisor?”

He told me which building to go to and I drove over to that Cook County police station. I went in and talked to the blonde receptionist, Ms. Sullivan. I told her, “I want to talk to a white shirt (Sergeant) about a First Amendment violation in front of Proviso East.”

She told me that they don’t want me there and Jesus would cooperate with the school officials. She took my name but no one called me back.

Two weeks later, I went back into the Cook County sheriff’s building and asked for the white shirt. He was out of the building, but a different receptionist took my information and got it to the Sergeant. The Sergeant tried to get me to go to the school and negotiate with the police officer there.

I said, “No, I want you to call your legal department and get legal advice.” An hour later he phoned back and said I have a legal right to be on either sidewalk.

People, I was just demanding that the school and police recognize First Amendment rights of common citizens. Don’t let officials get away with bluff and deception.