Valedictorian's references to God removed from graduation speech
Brooks Hamby, valedictorian at Brawley Union High School in California, had three drafts of his 2014 graduation speech rejected by administrators who struck religious references. He delivered remarks that included thanks to God anyway; the Pacific Justice Institute sent a demand letter, and the district later acknowledged the restrictions exceeded what the law required.
Ahead of Brawley Union High School's June 2014 graduation, administrators reviewed valedictorian Brooks Hamby's draft remarks and asked him to remove references to God and his Christian faith, marking the deletions on three successive drafts. Hamby delivered a speech thanking God and referencing his faith. The Pacific Justice Institute sent a demand letter to the district citing Tinker and Lee v. Weisman caselaw; the district subsequently acknowledged that the level of editing went beyond what was constitutionally required.