A legal group has joined the fight to allow a high schooler in Colorado Springs, Colorado, to paint her parking spot at school with Christian themes.
Sophia Shumaker is a senior at Rampart High School in Academy School District 20 where she wanted to paint her space inspired by the 23rd Psalm with a shepherd, staff, sheep, and a Bible verse, Fox News reported Sunday.
On behalf of the young woman, “legal group First Liberty Institute filed a complaint with Rampart High School and Academy School District 20, accusing the school of viewpoint discrimination for denying her request to include a reference to Scripture on her parking space,” the outlet said.
First Liberty described Shumaker as a “strong Christian” who expresses her faith through artwork. Shumaker was inspired to decorate her parking spot with such themes after another of the group’s clients, Sabrina Steffans of New York.
Steffans recently won her appeal to paint Christian themes on her school parking spot, according to Breitbart News.
Meanwhile, the Fox article said Rampart High School allows students to paint their parking space for their senior year, but they are not allowed to use offensive, negative, rude, gang-related, political, religious, or trademarked images.
Shumaker apparently asked in August to paint the Christian message on her spot, but a teacher denied the request and cited the school’s policy. When the student asked if she could make some changes and add a different Bible verse’s reference, the teacher allegedly discouraged it and told her it was unclear if it would get approved.
Now, the school is being accused of inconsistency when it comes to the district’s rules because other schools in the district apparently allow religious messages to be painted on those parking spots.
First Liberty said the rejection was unconstitutional.
According to Keisha Russell, Senior Counsel at First Liberty, “The Constitution protects private, religious speech—even when it occurs on public school property. The school’s policy violates both the Free Speech Clause and the Free Exercise Clause because it targets Sophia’s speech because of its religious viewpoint.”
The group said Shumaker has a right to express her faith and the display on a parking spot is her private speech.
“Students don’t give up their First Amendment rights at school. A student’s private religious expression is constitutionally protected even when it occurs on school property,” First Liberty noted.
According to Fox 21, Shumaker is active at her school and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The outlet said First Liberty has given the school until Friday “to reverse the decision and correct its guidelines districtwide.”
Read the full article here
