Krestan v. Deer Valley Unified School District

Summary

As a student at Mountain Ridge High School in Glendale, Arizona, Erin Krestan was a member of Common Cause, a Christian club that met on campus. In order to promote her club, Erin asked to add an announcement to Mountain Ridge’s morning bulletins (which other student clubs used to advertise their activities), inviting anyone interested to join Common Cause at the flagpole before school to pray for their peers and teachers.

School officials told her she’d have to remove the word “prayer” from the announcement. Erin asked why, and was told that using that word over the school p.a. system was “unconstitutional” and “offensive.”Erin asked for the printed copy of her announcement back; instead, the vice principal tore it up and threw it away. Erin tried meeting with school officials, but when they remained adamant, Alliance Defending Freedom filed suit against Mountain Ridge on behalf of Erin and her parents, Kevin and Lynn Krestan, for denying Common Cause equal access to the same public school facilities made available to other groups.

Represented by Alliance Defending Freedom, Erin filed a lawsuit against the Deer Valley Unified School District, challenging the discriminatory treatment of her club. The United States District Court in Arizona ruled for Erin, ordering the School District to show the Club’s videos and read its announcements in the same manner as the School District did for other clubs.

What’s at stake

The freedom of students to share their religious beliefs at school without fear of censorship or punishment.

Students being told that they can’t promote student led religious gatherings or times of prayer.

Students being told that their Christian club will not receive the same treatment as secular clubs. 

Our role in this case

Alliance Defending Freedom represented Erin in the defense of her rights to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.