TRI In The News

Free Speech 'Gutted' in Valedictorian Speech Case

The Rutherford Institute is suing a Billings, Montana, school over a graduation decision.

John Whitehead, founder of the Institute, says many people were scheduled to speak at the 2008 Butte High School graduation. Some chose serious subjects, others humor, he says.

"Renee Griffith, who is a Christian, wanted to mention Christ once and mention God once in one of her very short remarks, and the school said she couldn't do it," he explains. "She [insisted she] wanted to do it, so then they actually removed her from the graduation ceremony and did not allow her to speak."

According to a Rutherford press release, the co-valedictorian was ordered to replace two phrases in her speech -- "sharing Christ" and "lived with a purpose from God with a passionate love for Him" -- with the following phrases: "sharing my faith" and "lived with a purpose, a purpose derived from my faith and based on a love of mankind."

Whitehead explains he has seen many incidents of constitutional rights violated in graduation ceremonies, and has won several such cases. But Griffith's case -- which he describes as "pure censorship" -- is the worst he has seen, he says.

"Society seems to be going another direction," observes the attorney. "But the scary thing is, even these students who just want the right to freely speak like other students about what they believe in [are] being denied their rights. So what's happening is we're gutting the free-speech clause [in the Constitution]."

Whitehead maintains that students have constitutional rights -- but warns that "if we don't begin protecting the right to free speech in the schools, we are going to lose the right to speak entirely."