Senior High School Student Stands Up for Religious Expression

In Colorado, high school senior Sophia Shoemaker opted to incorporate her faith into her school’s senior parking lot art project. She initially considered illustrating the parable of the shepherd and the 99 sheep but settled on a backward-facing fish instead.

“It’s a symbol that Christians used to draw in the sand when they couldn’t openly express their beliefs,” Sophia explains. Despite her intent, school regulations prohibited any Christian imagery.

Keisha Russell, a lawyer with First Liberty, noted that when Sophia was informed of the design restrictions, she chose the backwards fish as a silent protest against these limitations. The school warned that an original design might not gain approval due to its religious context. To avoid conflict, Sophia opted for this design but felt it wasn’t fully appreciated.

Upon learning about the requirement to alter her design, Sophia’s mother reached out to First Liberty, who had experience with similar issues.

“Initially, they threatened legal action, which attracted media attention. They subsequently sent a letter to the school. Shortly thereafter, the matter was resolved, and my design was approved,” Sophia recounted.

“What’s interesting,” Russell added, “is that other students in the district were permitted to include religious themes in their parking spaces. This inconsistency raises questions about their policies.”

Russell continued, explaining how difficult it can be for the school to maintain control over these matters when inconsistencies exist. “Our letter essentially communicated, ‘We’d prefer to resolve this amicably, but if you continue to violate her rights, we are prepared to escalate this legally.’ We urged them to allow Sophia to paint her chosen design.”

Once the news became public, the school changed its stance, not only allowing Sophia to repaint her spot but also amending their overall policy to remove the religious restrictions.

“It turned out to be a positive outcome for everyone involved,” Russell concluded.