Brooks Hamby never wanted to be a rabble-rouser. He just wanted to thank Jesus in his high school graduation speech. But the Brawley Union School District in Brawley, Calif., said the references to Jesus and prayer in Brooks’ graduation speech were “inappropriate” and violated “prevailing legal standards.” School officials rejected three versions of the young man’s graduation address, and one administrator went so far as to redact every religious reference with a black marker – as if it were some sort of top secret government document. “The first and second draft speeches proposed oppose government case law and are a...
