News

By Patrick Craine

 

June 1, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) – On Friday, the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the claim of a high school graduate who was penalized by her school after delivering a valedictory address at her 2006 graduation in which she expressed her faith in Christ.

 

Represented by Liberty Counsel, Erica Corder initially sued the Lewis-Palmer School District in August 2007, but the case was thrown out by a federal judge last year.  The Court of Appeals heard Corder's case in March.

 

Corder was one of 15 valedictorians to give a 30-second speech at the Lewis-Palmer High School graduation.  The principal, Mark Brewer, had each speaker present their address to him in advance for approval; but at the graduation Corder opted to give a different speech.

 

“We are all capable of standing firm and expressing our own beliefs,” she said in her address, “which is why I need to tell you about someone who loves you more than you could ever imagine.  He died for you on a cross over 2,000 years ago, yet was resurrected and is living today in heaven. His name is Jesus Christ. If you don’t already know Him personally I encourage you to find out more about the sacrifice He made for you so that you now have the opportunity to live in eternity with Him” (the full text of Corder's speech is available on page 3-4 of the Court decision).

 

Following her speech, the principal withheld Corder's diploma until she issued a written apology.

 

In her suit, Corder asserted that her First Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of religion had been violated, as well as her Fourteenth Amendment right to equal protection.  She contested the principal's decision to review the speeches in advance, which is not called for in the District's written policy on ‘student expression.’

 

The Court affirmed, however, the principal's right to review valedictorian speeches in advance because they deemed such speeches to be school-sponsored.  The Court stated that, “A School District is entitled to review the content of speeches in an effort to preserve neutrality on matters of controversy within a school environment.”

 

As such, the Court said, the school did not violate Corder’s right to free speech. 

 

The Court also decided that the school had not violated Corder’s right to freedom of religion, arguing that she had not been penalized for her religious views, but rather for violating school policy in delivering a speech different than the one approved by the principal.

 

 

See related LifeSiteNews.com coverage:

 

Valedictorian Threatened with Loss of Diploma over Religious Graduation Message Sues School

https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/aug/07082701.html