Sacramento, Calif.—Liberty Union High School district in Contra Costa this week changed its policy banning parent-paid religious ads from its yearbook. The change was instigated after the school district received a letter from the Pacific Justice Institute (PJI), explaining that the policy is a violation of free speech rights.
Jeff and Julie Renner had paid for an ad to congratulate their son on his upcoming graduation, stating “May God bless your life.” Editors changed this sentence to “May He bless your life.”
In response to the Renners’ complaints, and action by PJI, the school agreed to pay the publisher $8,000 to restore all edited ads to their original forms. The yearbook staff had also removed references to God, Jesus Christ, holy and other religious words and passages.
A faculty yearbook advisor, Lloyd Cornwell, was put- out by the change in policy and, hoping to avoid conflict in the future, said that next year parents “will be given a choice of six ads with messages in them, and at least one will have a [pre-approved] spiritual tone.”
While it is apparent that hostility towards religion is still alive and well in Liberty Union High School district, this is a tremendous victory for, not only the Renner family, but other religious parents in that school district. Schools in Contra Costa are now put on notice that they cannot blatantly violate religious free speech rights.
Karen England is the executive director of the Capitol Resources Institute.
