Hillsdale High school in Michigan is actively working to censor the faith of this year’s Valedictorian. Elizabeth Turner, the Michigan school valedictorian was told that she would be unable to include references to Christianity in her speech.
According to Fox News, the high school principal Amy Goldsmith took issue with sections of Turner’s speech that referenced belief in Jesus Christ. A complaint sent to fox claims that Hillsdale is in violation of federal law that allows private religious speech at school.
“This is better and you fixed the language, but you are representing the school in the speech, not using the podium as your public forum,” Goldsmith allegedly said in a comment left on Google docs, and attached to turners speech.
“We need to be mindful about the inclusion of religious aspects. These are your strong beliefs, but they are not appropriate for a speech in a school public setting.” The principal is accused of saying.
But why would Elizabeth Turners speech in any way be indicative of the schools position on religion? The truth is that a student speech is not reflective of any stance that the schools administration has.
In Turners draft she said “For me, my future hope is found in my relationship with Christ. By trusting in him and choosing to live a life dedicated to bringing his kingdom glory, I can be confident that I am living a life with purpose and meaning.”
She continued, “My identity is found by what God says and who I want to become is laid out in scripture. Whether we want to admit it or not, not one of us can be certain of how our lives will unfold, but we do know that trials will come. The reality of this is that we face an unpredictable future, and while we are making all these plans to prepare, ultimately none of us are promised tomorrow, making it all the more important to make today count.”
According to the Daily Caller, First Liberty, a law firm that is representing Turner has reached out to Goldsmith in a letter. They demanded that Turner be allowed to practice free speech.
