Corder was one of 15 valedictorians scheduled to give a 30 second speech at the Spring 2006 commencement ceremony of Lewis Palmer High School. They each practiced their speech in front of Principal Mark Brewer. Corder said that she wanted to honor God, but didn't include that in the practice speech "because she knew there was a chance Brewer would prohibit the comments, and because she didn’t think there would be enough time to work through the issue with him."
Corder used her 30 seconds to tell people about Jesus, saying “If you don’t already know Him personally I encourage you to find out more about the sacrifice He made for you …” There were immediate complaints from parents and students, including some of the other valedictorians, that her remarks were inappropriate.
The suit states that she was told she wouldn't receive her diploma unless she sent an email of apology to the entire student body, and that Brewer told her the comments were immature. Corder's attorneys wrote to the school board asking that they reverse the requirement for the apology email. They also asked that a new policy be created that would allow religious speech. The current policy concerning "Student Expression Rights" doesn't mention religious speech.
Corder's father, who is an employee of Focus on the Family, a Colorado Springs-based conservative Christian organization, said “We don’t want future speakers to run into the same thing.” He also emphasized that money is not the issue and they will ask only for attorney's fees.
The free speech issue is an interesting one. Corder wouldn't be the first student to conceal the content of a commencement speech, knowing that it would be forbidden. In the absence of a clear policy about topics, or even when there is one, students have chosen to speak on war, racism, and many other issues. Such a choice should imply the willingness to accept possible consequences. Corder made the choice to do something she knew would not be acceptable, but refused to accept the consequences. Respect for the feelings and beliefs of others didn't inspire her to refrain from proselytizing at a public function, and she even turned the basic courtesy of an apology into a law suit.
If this was truly a free speech issue, it could have been brought to the attention of the school board months before. Taking it to court under the guise of free speech bypasses the school district and the very real likelihood that the policy would not be changed to include religious speech. The intent is clearly to extend the reach of religion into areas where it is currently forbidden.
