A Colorado Springs high school is at the center of a First Amendment dispute after a senior student was allegedly prevented from painting a Bible verse on her personalized parking space. A legal advocacy group has filed a complaint on her behalf, accusing the school district of religious viewpoint discrimination.
The complaint, submitted by the First Liberty Institute, targets Rampart High School and its governing body, Academy School District 20. It argues that the school's policy restricting religious expression on student-decorated parking spots violates the student's constitutional rights.
Key Takeaways
- A high school senior was allegedly denied permission to include a Bible verse on her personalized parking space.
- First Liberty Institute has filed a complaint, claiming the school's actions constitute a First Amendment violation.
- The school's policy for the program prohibits messages deemed "political, religious, or trademarked."
- The school district is reviewing the complaint and describes the parking space decoration as a "school-sponsored activity."
A Dispute Over Senior Year Tradition
The controversy began in August when Sophia Shumaker, a senior at Rampart High School, submitted a design for her parking space. The school allows seniors to paint and personalize their assigned spots for the year, a common tradition at many high schools. Shumaker's initial proposal included an image of a shepherd on a hill with a sheep and staff, accompanied by a Bible verse.
According to the complaint, a teacher overseeing the program denied the request, citing a school policy that bans specific types of content. After the initial denial, Shumaker attempted to find a compromise. She proposed a new, non-religious design but asked if she could include the reference "1 Cor 13:4," an abbreviated citation for a verse from the New Testament.
A text message exchange included in the complaint shows the teacher discouraging this as well, stating, "Yeah, no abbreviated verse. Not sure if it would get approved. Let me ask." The complaint suggests this second attempt was also unsuccessful.
School Policy at the Center
The guidelines for the parking space program at Rampart High School explicitly prohibit messages that the district considers "offensive, negative, rude, gang-related, political, religious, or trademarked images." The policy also notes that students whose first design is rejected have only one opportunity to submit a new one or they lose the privilege.
Legal Challenge Cites Free Speech
The First Liberty Institute's complaint frames the issue as a violation of free speech. The legal group argues that by allowing students to decorate parking spaces, the school district created a limited public forum where students can engage in private speech.
"What students paint on their parking spaces in the district is, therefore, protected by the Free Speech Clause and Rampart High School may not restrict Ms. Shumaker’s speech based on its religious viewpoint," the complaint asserts.
The legal filing further contends that the school's policy is applied inconsistently. It points out that other high schools within the same Academy School District 20 reportedly permit religious messages on student parking spaces. This inconsistency, the group argues, demonstrates that the messages are considered private student speech, not official school-endorsed speech.
The complaint concludes by demanding that the district permit Shumaker to paint her religious message and remove the policy that restricts such expression.
Student Speech and the First Amendment
The U.S. Supreme Court has long held that students do not "shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate." However, schools can restrict speech that is disruptive, lewd, or school-sponsored. Legal disputes often center on whether the student's expression is considered private speech in a public forum or school-sponsored speech, which the school has more authority to regulate.
District Responds to Allegations
When contacted for comment, Academy School District 20 confirmed its awareness of the attorney's letter. The district stated that it does not comment on potential legal matters or individual student situations but is reviewing the information provided.
The district's statement emphasized its view of the program's nature. "Rampart High School’s senior parking-spot program is a school-sponsored activity with content guidelines and a staff approval process," the statement read. This classification is significant, as schools generally have greater control over the content of school-sponsored activities.
The district also noted that it had not been contacted by the student's family about the concern prior to receiving the letter from the First Liberty Institute on October 22. The situation remains under review as both sides present their interpretation of student rights and school authority.