A high school senior who claims she was banned from drawing Bible messages in the student’s parking lot is fighting back.
Sabrina Stephens, a senior at Grand Island High School near Buffalo, New York, told CBN News that seniors at her school are allowed to personalize paid parking. However, when she attempted to portray her poetry and Christian art, the school reportedly refused.
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Currently, Steffens and First Liberty attorney Keisha Russell are threatening to take legal action if the district does not reverse the course.
“I put in three drawings I did. The first one was a painting of this mountain called Mount Salvation,” Steffens said. “And when I handed it they said… they had crosses, biblical verses and a lot of religions that they said weren’t allowed, so I told it completely to it.”
The students then submitted another drawing with biblical poems.
“They finally agreed to the last one that had no biblical verse or mating,” Stephens said.
The next high school senior said she wasn’t surprised by her initial denial, as she ran the school’s Bible club and aimed to have had the experience of her school turning down an ad from her club.
Steffens claimed it took several months to start the club, and that the design of a poster with biblical poems had been previously rejected. So, these turndowns were not a complete surprise, but Fast Liberty said parking space fiasco is not legally acceptable.
Russell said the first Liberty decided to help after hearing Steffens’s story because the conservative law firm fought and won similar battles.
“For some reason, I feel that (school districts) are some of the most hostile actors when it comes to religious freedom, which is a shame,” she said. “I represent a Connecticut school teacher who was a veteran teacher for 32 years, who was a veteran teacher.
Kennedy, a former public school football coach, has launched a lawsuit surrounding his fight to pray at the 50-yard line after the game. Russell sees similarities between these past battles and Stephens’ quest to have a parking lot that reflects her faith and values.
“Sabrina is the only person who can’t choose the message she wants in that parking space for herself,” she said. “And that’s just discrimination from a perspective. The Supreme Court has repeatedly stated that religious speech is double protected by the Constitution under the Free Speech Clause and Free Exercise Clause.”
The lawyer said she is on a mission to help her ensure that religious freedom is alive and well in her school.
“We hope that the district will come…and… we’ll realize that what they’re doing is wrong,” Russell said. “If not, you’ll need to sue them in federal court.”
First Liberty has already sent a demand letter explaining legal parameters, urging Grand Island High School officials to allow private religious expressions regarding Steffens’ parking spaces.
“What they’re doing to Sabrina is something they can’t do under the Constitution,” Russell said. “So we gave them a deadline for responses. It was last week. They asked for a little more time, so we give them time to look at things.”
Russell believes that Stephens’ original design should be approved, and that there was “nothing bad” in the Bible message and symbols present in the Arkwork.
As for Steffens, she told CBN News why she stayed quiet and why she decided to stand up and fight instead of ignoring the denial of her school parking request.
“There were a few things like Bible Club posters that I let them go, so you think it would be like that… you should want to stand up,” she said. “And I really didn’t say anything about them… but it took them three times for them to finally approve my painting.
Steffens has come to realize that the issue has an impact on her as well as her ability to express her beliefs.
“It’s not just for me, but for the rest of our school, I believe in Christ and want to spread that message,” she said.
Despite some negative comments online, Steffens said her friends and loved ones are offering a lot of support.
“It was really good and encouraging, especially with my church, my friends and my family,” she said.
CBN News will contact the Grand Island Central School District supervisor and update the story if comments or statements are received.
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