News Release
For Immediate Release: 10.22.25
Contact: Natalie Konstans, media@firstliberty.org
Direct: 972-941-4453
Colorado High School Rejects Senior’s Parking Space Design Due to Religious Imagery
Senior high school student asks district to let her express her religious beliefs on her parking space.
Colorado Springs, CO—Today, First Liberty Institute sent a demand letter to Academy School District 20 urging the superintendent to reverse Rampart High School’s denial of Sophia Shumaker’s faith-inspired parking space design and correct their guidelines prohibiting religious expression in school parking spaces. The school’s tradition allows seniors, for a fee, to show their school spirit by painting their parking space.
You can read the demand letter here.
“It is unconstitutional for the school to reject Sophia’s parking space design due to its religious imagery,” said Keisha Russell, Senior Counsel at First Liberty Institute. “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.”
Rampart High School allows seniors, for a small fee, to reserve and decorate their school parking space as it “builds school spirit, beautifies [the] campus, and creates lasting memories.” The guidelines prohibit messages that the school deems, “offensive, negative, rude, gang-related, political, religious, or trademarked images.” But Rampart’s school district contains several schools that do allow religious messages.
Sophia Shumaker is a senior at Rampart High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is a Christian, who loves to express her faith through artwork. Sophia requested to paint her space with a shepherd on a hill, a staff and a sheep, along with a Bible verse. School officials denied her request based on the school’s guidelines. Sophia eventually asked to put only 1 Corinthians 13:4 on her space but was told it would likely not be approved.
In the letter, attorneys state, “While Rampart High School’s policy bans religious messages on the parking spots, several schools throughout Academy School District 20 allow religious messages. 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.”
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About First Liberty Institute
First Liberty Institute is a non-profit public interest law firm and the largest legal organization in the nation dedicated exclusively to defending religious freedom for all Americans.
To arrange an interview, contact Natalie Konstans at media@firstliberty.org or by calling 972-941-4453.
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