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Colorado high school bans senior from decorating her parking spot with Bible verse

October 27, 2025 | | Print Article

A Colorado high school set off a free speech battle after it refused to allow a Christian senior to use religious imagery to decorate her personal parking spot in what she says is a violation of her First Amendment rights.

Sophia Shumaker was only looking to express her faith when she submitted her original design depicting a shepherd, a sheep, and a Bible verse to Rampart High School, only to have it denied because the school’s guidelines prohibit anything that is “offensive, negative, rude, gang-related, political, or religious.”

“The shepherd and the sheep, the 99 sheep basically represent the shepherd leaves the 99 sheep to go find the lost one,” she told Fox 21 News.

After her first sketch was rejected, Shumaker then submitted a second design, this one less overtly religious, that depicted a group of fish with one swimming in the opposite direction, which she said “quietly represents her faith,” according to KKTV. The alternate version featured the text “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud,” citing Corinthians 13:4-8.

But it was also rejected, setting off a legal battle after she got help from First Liberty Institute, which, according to the firm’s website, is “the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious liberty for all Americans.”

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“It is unconstitutional for the school to reject Sophia’s parking space design due to its religious imagery,” explained First Liberty Senior Counsel Keisha Russell. “The Constitution protects private, religious speech—even when it occurs on public school property. The school’s policy violates both the Free Speech Clause and the Free Exercise Clause because it targets Sophia’s speech because of its religious viewpoint.”

In an October 22 demand letter, First Liberty noted the inconsistencies in Academy School District 20, with some schools permitting messages expressing religious faith.

“While Rampart High School bans religious messages on the parking spots as a matter of policy and practice, several schools throughout Academy School District 20 allow religious messages,” the letter reads.

“The district’s inconsistent policies demonstrate that the seniors’ messages on the parking spots in Academy School District 20, including those at Rampart, are private speech, not government speech. Therefore, the district cannot deny Ms. Shumaker’s private, religious speech without violating the First Amendment,” First Liberty wrote.

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“Academy District 20 is aware of an attorney’s letter regarding a Rampart High School student parking spot design. We do not comment on potential legal matters or individual student situations, but confirm that we are reviewing the information provided,” said Academy District 20 Chief Communication Officer Mark Belcher in a statement.

“Although Academy District 20 was not contacted by a family or student about this concern and did not receive the attorney’s letter prior to Oct. 22, we can share that Rampart High School’s senior parking-spot program is a school-sponsored activity with content guidelines and a staff approval process,” Belcher added.

“My identity, everything about me, is through Christ. I just wanted that to be represented in my parking space,” Shumaker told KKTV.

Chris Donaldson
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