A Lewis-Palmer High School student who was told she must apologize for mentioning Jesus in a valedictorian speech or not receive a diploma is appealing a federal court decision rejecting her request for an injunction against the school.
Erica Corder has filed an appeal with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals after a Denver district court judge dismissed her lawsuit earlier this year.
Corder is seeking a declaration that the school violated her First Amendment rights and an injunction against the school preventing similar acts, said Mathew Staver of Liberty Counsel, which filed a federal lawsuit against the school district in 2007.
A judge summarily dismissed her suit, finding that the district can limit what students say in a school setting, said Robin Adair, spokeswoman for the Lewis-Palmer School District.
At her 2006 graduation, Corder spoke about her Christian faith during a 30-second message at the Monument high school, Staver said.
“For more than two years, she has been the subject of criticism because the school continues to portray her as a student who engaged in improper conduct for mentioning Jesus Christ during a graduation speech,” said Staver, who is the dean of Liberty University School of Law in Lynchburg, Va.
Before graduation, Corder and another valedictorian orally presented their speeches to principal Mark Brewer, but at graduation, Corder switched her speech and spoke about her faith.
The substitution is what the principal objected to, Adair said.
After her speech, the assistant principal told Corder she would not receive her diploma unless she apologized for what she did, Staver said.
Kirk Mitchell: 303-954-1206 or kmitchell@denverpost.com
