By Shannon Michael Jones
In a major victory for Christian rights high school senior Sabrina Steffans is now allowed to decorate her parking space with a faith-based message. In response to legal action from First Liberty Institute, a leading religious liberty firm, Grand Island High School near Buffalo, New York, has reversed course.
The high school allows seniors to pay $50 to decorate their parking spaces with “positive artwork,” a tradition meant to beautify the campus and promote school spirit — a privilege that should also extend to students expressing their faith.
Steffans submitted two designs featuring crosses and verses from John 14:6 and Jeremiah 29:11, but school officials rejected them solely because they were religious, approving only a third version stripped of any faith-based expression.
“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.”
Steffans wasn’t surprised by the initial denial. As president of the school’s Bible club, she had long witnessed the school repeatedly reject the club’s advertisements—a clear pattern of targeting Christian expression. This latest rejection crossed the line.
Steffans then turned to First Liberty Institute, a religious liberty law firm, which slammed the school for blatant unconstitutional censorship and insisted that her First Amendment right to express her faith be fully respected.
Grand Island Central School District Superintendent Brian Graham said the district is committed to fostering an inclusive environment and denied any violation of students’ rights. However, after consulting legal counsel in response to First Liberty’s demand, the school agreed to permit Steffans’ design.
“We take seriously our responsibility to uphold constitutional principles, including the First Amendment,” Graham wrote to CBN. “While we strongly dispute any claim that our policies or decisions violated a student’s rights, the Board of Education and District leadership, after careful consultation with legal counsel, have decided to allow the student to proceed with her original senior parking space design.”
He said the decision strikes a balance between upholding the law and avoiding costly litigation that could distract from the district’s mission. Graham added that school officials will review their policies moving forward to determine the best approach for handling similar situations.
“We are pleased the school district changed course and will allow Sabrina to fully express her deeply held beliefs in her design,” said Keisha Russell, senior counsel at First Liberty, in a Wednesday press release. “The First Amendment protects students’ private expressions of faith in public schools.”
As Christians, we cannot remain silent when our rights are under attack. Sabrina Steffans shows us the courage and conviction needed to stand up for our faith. When we give in or stay quiet, we surrender our freedoms. Now is the time to fight back, to defend our beliefs, and to boldly uphold the rights God has given us.
Sources: CBN and Fox News