News Release
For Immediate Release: 5.1.25
Contact: John Manning, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
Breaking: Michigan Elementary School Threatens to Censor Popular Brandon Lake Song From Student Talent Show
School principal claims just days before audition that Christian student’s song choice is too religious.
Allegan, MI—Late yesterday, First Liberty Institute sent a letter to officials at West Ward Elementary School in Michigan urging that they allow two elementary school students to sing popular songs by Brandon Lake and Colton Dixon at an upcoming school talent show. School officials told the students just two days before auditions that allowing the second-grader’s song was a problem because it had “very clear language about worshipping God,” and that the issue with the fifth-grader’s song was that “not everyone believes in God.”
You can read the letter here.
“It’s cruel that a school would threaten to censor elementary students from singing popular songs just because they are religious,” said Kayla Toney, Counsel for First Liberty Institute. “As the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized, students do not lose their First Amendment rights when they walk through the schoolhouse gates. School officials need to comply with the law and stop censoring students’ religious expression.”
L.C. and V.C. are Christian students who love to express their faith in God through worship songs. For an upcoming school talent show, L.C. would like to sing “That’s Who I Praise,” by popular Christian artist Brandon Lake. Lake recently appeared on the American Idol’s Songs of Faith special. V.C. would like to sing “Up and Up” by Christian artist Colton Dixon. But after the songs were submitted to the school a month ago, a school official just told their mother that L.C.’s song was too “Christian based.” According to the parents, L.C.’s song was singled out for review because of its religious content, while the school did not review songs submitted by other students. Then, the principal told the parents on April 30 that the song had “very clear language about worshipping God,” and that if he made it to the talent show, L.C. would need to change his song or lyrics. Another school official confronted V.C. about her song choice—also faith-based—and explained to this elementary school student that the issue is that “not everyone believes in God.”
Auditions for the talent show are scheduled for today, May 1. The talent show is scheduled for May 23.
In its letter to school officials, First Liberty says, “As the Supreme Court’s holding in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District made clear, the First Amendment protects students’ ability to express their faith in public schools. See also Tinker v. Des Moines Indep. Cmty. Sch. Dist., 393 U.S. 503, 506 (1969) (“[n]either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate”). In Kennedy, the Court explained that the clauses of the First Amendment ‘work in tandem. Where the Free Exercise Clause protects religious exercises, whether communicative or not, the Free Speech Clause provides overlapping protection for expressive religious activities.’ 597 U.S. at 524. The result is that the First Amendment ‘doubly protects religious speech.’ Id.”
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact John Manning at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
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