"I have no idea what the legal limits are, but courts have regularly sided with administrators who have prevented the wearing of certain colors, of t-shirts with certain messages on them, and of the handing out of leaflets or certain kinds of information."
And you would classify this girl's faith based statements in the same category as wearing gang colors or handing out leaflets that advocate violence? Are you okay with any limit that courts would put on the freedoms of students?
"If this valedictorian was not comfortable giving her talk without the references to Jesus in it, she simply should have declined to speak at all, rather than say she would give the edited speech, then not give it."
Perhaps the blatant injustice of having her free speech rights violated by those in authority at the school was a bit too much for her to take. If so, I applaud her convictions.
Ooops. Forgot. She lied. Once she gave her word, she should have just shut up and let anyone trample on her rights. The nerve of that kid!
The particular leaflets in question were not advocating violence; they were advocating membership in a Wiccan group.
Perhaps the blatant injustice of having her free speech rights violated by those in authority at the school was a bit too much for her to take.
Minor children do not have "free speech rights." As pointed out above, schools regularly limit the "free expression" of students. They're students, they're children. Children are subject to parents and school administrators.