It’s back to school time for millions of American kids.
That means new school supplies, clothes, anxiety and excitement. And for some parents, relief.
For some public-school bureaucrats, though, it means another opportunity to stifle the religious liberty of students and staff.
Every year, my firm, First Liberty Institute, receives dozens of requests for legal help from students and teachers who face hostility from school administrators and attorneys for simple acts of religious expression. Despite recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court that clarified the rights of students and teachers to express their religious faith, in too many school districts around the nation, the knee-jerk reaction to religious activity is intolerance, hostility and censorship.
Just outside of Buffalo, New York, Grand Island High School has a tradition allowing seniors, for a fee, to reserve and decorate their parking space, encouraging “students to express themselves through positive artwork, to beautify the campus, to build school spirit, and to create a new and exciting tradition to support Senior Class activities and events.”
That is, unless a student’s expression includes their faith.
Sabrina Steffans, a rising senior, submitted her parking space design as an expression of her Christian faith that included the phrases “God is love,” “He loves you,” a cross and John 14:6.
But her principal told her to remove the Bible verse because the school considered the words inside the parking spaces to be “government speech,” not personal speech. The school approved her third and final design only after she removed all Bible references and the name of God.
To deny our client a school tradition that lets the seniors express themselves in a unique way just because she has a religious message was not only unconstitutional but also petty. Thankfully, after we sent a letter demanding that the school follow the law and allow Sabrina to express her faith, they backed down.
Last year, two Christian elementary students in Michigan who love to express their faith in God through worship songs asked to sing popular songs by Christian artists Brandon Lake and Colton Dixon at a school talent show. But a school official told their mother that the songs were too “Christian based.” Another school official told one of the elementary school students that the issue is that “not everyone believes in God.” According to the parents, the songs were singled out for review because of their religious content, while the school did not review songs submitted by other students.
Only after we sent a letter explaining the law did school officials back down, allowing the kids to sing the songs they chose.
But it never should have come to that. School officials in these cases simply assumed that religious expression was forbidden. They were wrong.
Finally, there’s the case of Marisol Castro, a veteran teacher of 35 years in Connecticut who was placed on administrative leave, escorted out of her classroom like a criminal and banished from her students simply because she hung a small cross on the wall next to her desk. For her, the crucifix reminds her to pray and helps her remain calm throughout the day as she faithfully teaches her students.
In the personal space next to their desks, other teachers display photos of family and friends, images of Wonder Woman and Baby Yoda, a miniature of the Mona Lisa, a New England Patriots football team pennant, inspirational quotes, a photograph of a statue of the Virgin Mary, and a mug referencing a Bible verse.
But school officials refuse to back down, so we had to file a federal lawsuit on behalf of Marisol.
It’s long past time for school officials to go back to school and learn. Religious expression by students and teachers is protected by the First Amendment. Instead of immediately banishing and censoring religious speech, schools need to start practicing the tolerance they are so often quick to claim.