A New York high school backed down after facing a legal threat and will now allow a Christian student to decorate her paid parking spot with Bible verses.
Grand Island High, near Buffalo, has a tradition of allowing seniors to pay $50 to decorate their parking spaces with “positive artwork” meant to beautify the campus and promote school spirit, according to legal group First Liberty.
Rising senior Sabrina Steffans submitted two designs featuring crosses and verses from John 14:6 and Jeremiah 29:11. Both were rejected by school officials, who only approved a third non-religious version.
“I put in three drawings that I did, and the first drawing was a drawing of this mountain called Salvation Mountain,” Steffans told CBN. “And when I handed it in, they said… completely no to it because it had crosses, a Bible verse, and just a lot of religion that they said that wasn’t allowed.”
“They finally agreed to… the last one, which had no Bible verses, no crosses, or anything,” the student added.
After the school rejected her initial designs, Steffans sought legal help from religious liberty firm First Liberty. The group said it sent a demand letter arguing that the student had a constitutional right to religious expression.
Days later, First Liberty announced the district had changed course and would allow Steffans’ original design.
“We are pleased the school district changed course and will allow Sabrina to truly express her deeply held beliefs in her design,” Keisha Russell, senior counsel at First Liberty, said in a press release Wednesday. “The First Amendment protects students’ private expressions of faith in public schools.”
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Legal group First Liberty announced Wednesday that a New York high school will now allow a high school senior to decorate her parking space with a religious design after initially rejecting it.
Grand Island Central School District Superintendent Brian Graham said the district was committed to fostering an inclusive environment that respects students and disputed that it violated students’ rights. After consulting legal counsel, he said the school agreed to permit Steffans’ design.
“We also take seriously our responsibility to uphold constitutional principles, including the First Amendment,” Graham wrote in a statement to CBN. “While we strongly dispute any assertion that our policies or decisions violated the rights of any student, the Board of Education and District leadership, after careful consultation with legal counsel, have decided that the student in question will be permitted to proceed with her original senior parking space design.”
He added the district will review its parking space program to determine whether changes are needed.
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Graham did not immediately return Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
Original article source: High school student wins fight to display Bible verses in parking spot after school faces legal pressure
