The Name That Was Silenced

HENDERSON, Nevada - Brittany McComb might appear to be like any other 18-year-old. But she's not. How many 18-year-olds do you know who are suing their high school? It's a case that could be destined for the U.S. Supreme Court. Let's back up two months. June 15: Valedictorian Brittany McComb is on stage to deliver a speech, which highlights God's influence in her life. But when she tries to mention how Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, all of a sudden her microphone goes dead. Is it a faulty outlet? A power surge? No, the school pulled the plug...literally! John Whitehead heads the legal organization, the Rutherford Institute, that is representing McComb. He said, "She had the microphone pulled, something that only happens in totalitarian regimes." McComb knew the microphone would be shut off because she had to submit a copy of her speech to the school. They warned her not to read her version or they would cut off her microphone. CBN News obtained a copy of the speech. The school cut out this part: "God's love is so great that He gave His only Son up to an excruciating death on a cross so His blood would cover all our shortcomings, and our relationship with Him could be restored…" They cited that as 'identifying a particular religion." They also didn't like the part where she wrote "that is why Christ died." They also crossed out a part where they believed she was proselytizing. She wrote: "I can guarantee 100 percent, no doubt in my mind, that if you choose to fill yourself with God's love rather than the things society tells us will satisfy us, you will find success, you will find your self-worth." In a rare interview, CBN News spoke with McComb at her parent's home outside of Las Vegas. She said, "I was very convicted that I was doing the right thing and that my heart was very much in the right place. The fact of the matter is, you can listen and accept it, or you don't have to. You can tune it out. Most people tune out valedictory speeches." Officials at Foothill High School and the Clark County school district would not talk to us on camera. Since the case is currently under litigation, they felt it was better not to say anything. After all, the principal and the assistant principal have been targeted in the lawsuit. The school claims they did nothing wrong and were just following previous court rulings on what can and what cannot be said at high school graduations. Cases in Nevada are heard by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. They've previously ruled that graduation speeches are school-sponsored, and that means generic religious references are OK, but proselytizing is not. Christina Littlefield has been following this case for the Las Vegas Sun. "The 9th Circuit really leaves no room for the student to have the right to free speech in a graduation speech where it is a school-sponsored event, and that's kind of the key here," Littlefield said. "The school district had to follow the 9th Circuit ruling. The question is, is the 9th Circuit ruling the right interpretation of the law?" The school district's rules on graduation speeches allowed for them to give a disclaimer before McComb's speech. But the school district decided to follow the court's rulings instead. The 9th circuit has said that once a school district starts to edit the speech, it becomes school- sponsored. So schools must stop the speech or risk violating the establishment of religion clause in the First Amendment. Whitehead says that makes no sense. "People are not stupid. They know schools don't endorse religion. They knew that young girl up there wasn't speaking for the government," Whitehead said. He added, "Once she diverted from the school-approved version, she was a private individual speaking in a limited public forum. That's the big difference." Defying school authorities was not easy for McComb. She remembers what she was thinking the day before the speech: "I am going to throw up. What is going to happen to me tomorrow? I was so scared." But after a night filled with prayer, her mind cleared. She said, "I woke up the next morning and God really gave me a peace and a calm about what I was supposed to do." But she gave her word to the school that she would read their edited version. What about going back on that agreement? "I said yes, and at that moment I wasn't thinking correctly, or maybe I was just frazzled,” McComb said. “But I do admit that after the speech, it was something that is not Christ-like, lying to someone about what you're going do. But you know what? That's God's grace." Not everyone sees it that way. One of McComb's teachers, Karen Vaughan, wrote a letter to the Las Vegas Review Journal saying, "You made a promise. If you break that promise, you would be lying, and that is a sin.” She also said, "This is not the proper platform for a sermon. All of the people in this captured audience have come to see someone graduate from high school. You do not have the right to ruin their graduation experience." McComb figured criticism would find her. She said, "I've tried to guard my heart against that and realize the only words that influence me should be from Christ." But it's those words that she couldn't say about Christ that make her wonder what's happened to her free speech. "They're telling me I can't say that,” McComb said. “I can't say that Jesus Christ has changed my life to make me a caring citizen, to make me a successful person, to give me hope for the future, to give me purpose.” Whitehead said, "Are we saying that people who are religious can't attempt to persuade other people? Well, if not, they don't have free speech rights, so what we're saying to religious people at that point is that the First Amendment doesn't apply to you anymore." This issue of what is and what is not proselytizing at graduation speeches may have to be settled once and for all by the Supreme Court. "Regardless of whether her case gets there,” said Littlefield, “it's adding to that body of cases out there that say this is a legitimate question. This is a question that the Supreme Court needs to weigh in on." So while McComb waits to see what will come from this, she says that it makes sense that saying the name of Jesus would cause all this controversy. She said, "In the Bible, it does say Christ's name is offensive, but it's a name of love and forgiveness and mercy and joy!" McComb's convinced it's all of that, but for now, at least, it's also a name that's been silenced at Foothill High School.