School free speech goes to court...again

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April 8, 2008
Thanks to action by the U.S. Supreme Court, Chase Harper is back in court with a chance to win a victory for religious freedom.

In 2004, Chase – then a sophomore in high school – simply wanted to express his view. The Day of Silence, an event created by the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network, had been embraced at his school, and students and school officials took full advantage of the opportunity to promote homosexual behavior. Chase wanted to express his Biblical values on the issue, but he quickly found that, for many, "tolerance" is a one way street.

When Chase wore a T-shirt to school that expressed a biblical viewpoint on homosexual behavior; school administrators demanded that he remove it. When he refused, he was placed in a room and interrogated by an armed deputy.

In April 2006, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit ruled the school may have been justified in its censorship of Chase. But by God's grace, in March 2007, the Supreme Court took action and vacated the decision, giving Chase and Christian students like him another chance to have their religious freedom protected.

Joining Chase in court is his sister Kelsie. Both are represented by the Alliance Defense Fund, and our attorneys are determined to demonstrate the facts about religious freedom.

"Christian students shouldn't be penalized for expressing their beliefs. They have the same First Amendment rights as all other students on campus," said ADF Legal Counsel Tim Chandler. "Speech cannot be silenced simply because someone else disagrees with it or deems it to be 'negative.' As the Supreme Court has stated, students do not shed their constitutional rights at the schoolhouse gate."

A copy of the opening brief filed in the 9th Circuit in Harper v. Poway Unified School District can be read at www.telladf.org/UserDocs/HarperBrief.pdf.

This case could have far-reaching implications, and we cannot win it alone. Please join us in prayer, asking God to grant us favor as we work together to defend Our First Liberty – religious freedom.