Sabrina Steffans, an incoming senior at Grand Island High School near Buffalo, had long looked forward to participating in the school’s unique tradition. Each year, seniors can pay a fee to decorate their assigned parking spaces as a form of personal expression. But when she submitted her designs, the school administration rejected them—not once, but twice—because they included religious elements. For Steffans, who leads the school’s Bible club and has previously faced challenges getting approval for faith-based club advertisements, the denial felt familiar. But this time, she decided not to let the matter go.
Seeking help, Steffans reached out to First Liberty Institute. Senior counsel Keisha Russell quickly responded, sending a letter to the district and warning that legal action would follow if the school did not reverse course. Just days later, under the looming threat of litigation, the school board decided to allow Steffans to move forward with her original design—the one featuring Scripture and crosses.
“We are pleased that the school district changed course and will allow Sabrina to truly express her deeply held beliefs in her design,” Russell said. “The First Amendment protects students’ private expressions of faith in public schools.”
