36K Sign Petition For Downingtown STEM Dean Who Confronted Abortion Protesters

DOWNINGTOWN, PA -- Thousands of former students and community members are voicing their support for a Downingtown STEM teacher who was suspended after confronting abortion protesters on school property in April. The incident has garnered national attention and galvanized activists on both sides of the vitriolic abortion debate.

Zach Ruff, the dean of academics and student life at the school and a teacher of both advanced placement European history and advanced placement psychology, confronted the teenage protesters at the end of the school day on April 21.

The protesters, a homeschooled brother and sister, were carrying signs that graphically depicted abortions. Vocal supporters on each side characterize the background of the situation very differently; supporters of Ruff say that the protesters were harassing students by yelling about abortion and waving the graphic signs.

Supporters of the protesters say that Ruff was unnecessarily aggressive and that the protesters had a right to be where they were, on the sidewalk in front of the school.

A total of nearly 37,000 signatures had been added to the “Keep Dr. Ruff” petition on Care2 as of Tuesday afternoon. The petition originally began with a goal of 787, reflecting the number of students at STEM, but was changed as support rapidly grew. Many supporters believe that Ruff was merely being protective of his students. Former students, like Pallavi Kuppa-Apte, describe a deeply caring and passionate man who has made his students his life’s work.

“The thing that has always set Mr. Ruff apart is his profound caring for his students,” said Kuppa-Apte, who was in Ruff’s history class her sophomore year at Downingtown East. “When he saw those extremely graphic signs, he became agitated -- i can understand his concern and his frustration. When I watched the interaction, I saw an educator whose number one priority is the happiness and safety of the students in his care - young kids who might feel unsafe or unhappy to see these images displayed at their school.”

The protesters, 16-year-old Conner Haines and his sister, told NBC10 that they planned their protest to coincide with a Holocaust remembrance event being held at Downingtown West nearby. In a video of the event which has been widely shared in edited segments, the teenagers repeatedly describe abortion as a national holocaust and describe themselves as “abolitionists.” They reportedly moved their protest to STEM when they saw students leaving for the day.

“We never even got close to any vehicles and definitely not tapping on car windows,” Haines told NBC. “We did have images of the victims of abortion. It's important to expose the injustice that's happening to over 3,000 image bearers of God every single day.”

In the video, Ruff yells at the supporters while the supporters shout about abortion to the passing cars. When the students call abortion a holocaust, Ruff snaps at the teens that "they're cells." The male protester tells Ruff that "sir, you need to turn to Jesus Christ," and Ruff gives a short laugh before snapping back, "I'm as gay as the day is long, and twice as sunny. I don't give a (expletive) what Jesus tells me and what I should and should not be doing."

Later, the protesters stop students who are walking by.

"It (abortion) is the same thing as the Holocaust that happened in Nazi Germany," Haines' sister said. "It's no different."

Ruff is currently completing his doctoral dissertation in educational leadership and management at Drexel University, according to his biography on the school district website. He received a masters degree from Neumann University and a bachelors degree at the College of St. Joseph in Vermont.

"We can agree or disagree on how the situation could be handled, but there's no doubt that his number one priority was to protect and care for the students of STEM,” Kuppa-Apte said. “I don't think anyone should be fired for that.”

Downingtown is holding a school board meeting on Wednesday night which is open to public comment and attendance. Both supporters and detractors of Ruff are expected at the meeting. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the district's administration office, which is located at 540 Trestle Place in Downingtown.

Note: the video below contains graphic language.

Image via Youtube screenshot