Penna Dexter

My walking route often includes a nearby high school’s grounds with a stop to look at the seniors’ beautifully-painted parking spaces. Many high schools allow seniors to pay for a space and then paint it with a picture or message that reflects their personality or interests.

Most schools require that artwork be approved by administrators. Academy School District 20 in Colorado Springs, Colorado follows guidelines that prohibit messages it deems “offensive, negative, rude, gang-related, political, religious, or trademarked images.”

Sophia Shumaker is a senior at one of the schools in that district: Ramparts High School. She planned to decorate her parking space, expressing her faith through her artwork.

She submitted her design: a shepherd on a hill, his staff, a sheep, and a Bible verse, which she told a local news station, represents “God leaving the 99 sheep to go find the one sheep that’s lost.” The school rejected it.

School policy stated that if a student’s first design is not approved, there’s only one chance to change it. If the artwork is again denied, the student forfeits their parking spot. Sophia created a second design — a non-religious picture with a well-known scripture reference from 1 Corinthians 13. But a teacher told her, “Not sure it would get approved.”

Sophia sought help from First Liberty Institute. The firm’s attorneys sent a demand letter to the district pointing out that several of its schools do allow religious messages and urging the superintendent to reverse Rampart’s denial and correct district guidelines. First Liberty Attorney Keisha Russell announced that the school agreed, and it will now allow Sophia to re-paint her original design.

In August, First Liberty resolved a similar complaint for another student, Sabrina Steffans, of Grand Island, New York.

Ms. Russell says, “The First Amendment protects students’ private expressions of faith in public schools.”

Sometimes school officials need to be reminded that students have these rights.