A determined high school senior in Colorado has successfully challenged her school's ban on religious designs for senior parking spaces and will now be able to showcase her Christian faith in her own unique way.
Sophia Shumaker, a senior at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, initially sparked this movement when she proposed a design for her paid parking space that illustrated Jesus' parable of the lost sheep. Her design featured a shepherd, a staff, and sheep, along with the Bible verse 1 Corinthians 13:4. However, school administrators turned her down, citing a district policy against religious imagery. Disappointed at being told to choose a different design, Shumaker expressed how integral her faith is to her identity.
“I was honestly upset just because other people were getting to express themselves how they wanted, and Christianity is my whole identity,” she explained in an interview. “I just really wanted to express that.”
The catalyst for her activism came after the tragic assassination of Turning Point USA co-founder Charlie Kirk in September. Shumaker shared, “I’ve been watching Charlie Kirk for as long as I can remember. He really influenced my religion and inspired me to speak out about what’s right.”
Seeking support, she reached out to the First Liberty Institute, a Texas-based organization dedicated to defending religious freedom. They promptly sent a demand letter to the school district, arguing that the policy infringed upon students' First Amendment rights. The letter pointed out that other schools within the district permit symbols like crosses in their parking space designs, questioning the consistency of the rules.
“The district’s inconsistent policies show that these messages are private expressions of the students, not government speech," the letter emphasized. "Thus, they cannot deny Ms. Shumaker’s private, religious speech without violating the First Amendment."
First Liberty urged the district to not only reverse its "unconstitutional policy" but also to allow Shumaker to paint her parking space with her original Christian design.
In a positive turn of events, on Tuesday, First Liberty announced that the school district agreed to revise its policy, granting Shumaker the green light to repaint her space. “The First Amendment protects students’ private expressions of faith in public schools,” stated Keisha Russell, senior counsel for First Liberty Institute. “We’re encouraged that the district will now allow students like Sophia to express their beliefs through their artwork for the rest of the year.”
Academy School District 20 confirmed the change, stating they want to ensure fairness for all students moving forward. Seniors will be allowed to repaint their parking spaces upon request, as long as the designs adhere to guidelines prohibiting offensive language or references to drugs, violence, or gangs.
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Russell hopes Shumaker's stand encourages other students to assert their beliefs. “This really shows young people across the country how important it is to stick up for what you believe in,” she said. “I encourage all young people to do the same.”
This isn’t the first instance of a student fighting for their right to express religious beliefs in school: last August, a senior in New York won a similar battle, highlighting a rising movement among students to voice their faith and values.
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