Counter-Recruitment
Peace Action Montgomery Position Statement

What We Want:

• A repeal of Section 9528 of the No Child Left Behind Act. This law, signed by President Bush in 2001, guarantees military recruiters the "same access to secondary school students as is provided generally to post secondary educational institutions or to prospective employers of those students." Military recruiters have no place in our schools.

• Until Section 9528 is repealed, we demand schools in Maryland abide by the "same access" clause. Schools throughout the state frequently allow military recruiters to enjoy greater access to students than that enjoyed by other recruiters.

• State legislation forbidding the use of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, (ASVAB) in the state's public high schools without active parental consent. (ACCOMPLISHED!)

• The elimination of all Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC) programs that currently operate at taxpayer expense in public schools throughout the state.

• A statewide moratorium on the use of all military hardware (tanks, humvees, helicopters, etc.) and interactive military recruiting vans on public middle and high school campuses.

• Equal access to students on high school campuses; i.e. allowing counter-recruitment in our high schools. It is explained in the 1986 ruling in San Diego Committee v. Governing Board of Grossmont Union High School District [790 F.2d 1471 (9th Cir.1986)]. Equal access rests on the principle that once a government agency creates a forum for expressive activity on a controversial topic, and one point of view has been allowed, the forum must also be opened to those with an opposing view.