Portland parents sue schools over gun control protests

Two sets of parents have filed suit against Portland Public Schools in federal court, accusing officials of violating their children’s civil rights by helping facilitate protests advocating gun control after the shooting in Parkland, Florida last year.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the suit, filed by lawyer and Multnomah County Republican Party Chairman James Buchal on Wednesday, represents two Portland couples on behalf of their three children.

The parents are suing to recoup attorney fees and more than $8,500 one says he paid Portland schools for records related to a student walkout and last year’s March For Our Lives. They want a judge to declare the district’s alleged support for those events as a violation of the First Amendment.

District spokesman Harry Esteve said in a statement that the district believes the claims made in the lawsuit are baseless.