A Plainwell, Michigan, high school junior has gone to federal court to fight for his right to talk about his religion.
The case arose when Plainwell High School student David Stout was suspended for three days for expressing his Christian beliefs and opinions in a private conversation with a like-minded student on school property and in private text messages outside of school with friends.
In his conversations and text messages, Stout put forth the biblical teaching of the love of God through Christ for sinners and expressed his own love for his peers. He shared the Judeo-Christian doctrine that homosexual conduct was a sin and that God created only two biological genders—man and woman.
Before being suspended, Stout alleges he was asked by a faculty member why he had not “self-reported” his sharing of his religious and political beliefs with fellow students to school officials.
Stout also alleges he was told that talking about religious or political beliefs was not allowed anywhere on campus for fear of hurting someone’s feelings. He alleges the faculty member told him that he must stop all religious conversations with other students because, if overheard, they might feel offended and unsafe.
Stout said the whole thing seemed to him to be a one-sided method to shame, intimidate, and silence conservatives and Christians.
The superintendent of Plainwell Public Schools did not respond to a request for comment.
The complaint, which was filed Jan. 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, states that the school’s principal and assistant principal allegedly explained to Stout that it was a student’s responsibility, not only to stop hurtful comments and behaviors, but to preempt such conduct.
Stout said that the administrators warned him that anything he did or said in school, outside of school, or on social media could negatively affect his future employment prospects—a statement that Stout alleges was a threat.
On Oct. 25, 2021, Stout’s parents received notice that their son had been suspended.
David’s father, David Stout, Sr., stated, “We have always taught our son to be respectful of everyone’s opinion and to be polite to others…(He) is entitled to properly express his faith and beliefs without being disciplined and suspended by Plainwell schools. We trust the court will uphold David’s constitutional rights and his school record will be cleared.”
The Stouts’ attorney, David Kallman of the Great Lakes Justice Center, said, “David was suspended for three days last fall for stating his Christian beliefs in a private text conversation and in a hallway at school. He is also being punished for not policing and reporting the inappropriate jokes of fellow students. He was instructed to stop posting his religious comments on all his social media platforms, and was disciplined for the offensive behavior of some other students; something he was unaware of and did not participate in.
“David is a good student with a clean record. Nothing he did caused a disruption or any problem at the school. He has the right to express his opinion in accordance with his religious beliefs without vilification or punishment from the government.”
Stout asked the court for a declaratory judgment that the Plainwell School District violated his First and Fourteenth Amendment rights, and his civil rights under the Michigan Constitution, and other state statutes. He is asking his suspension be expunged from his school record and is seeking compensatory and/or nominal damages, costs and attorney fees.
HD Editor’s Note: Why Is This News Biblically Relevant?
Stand Up For The Truth radio/podcast host David Fiorazo recently authored the book “Cancelling Christianity” in which he detailed the “consistent agendas to erase God and eradicate Christian influence from society” and “general apathy of the church that has allowed the immoral, leftist takeover.”
In an excerpt published from Canceling Christianity, Fiorazo notes that the political left’s efforts to “blot out God” may be detrimental to America.
“Throughout the world for the last 2,000 years, societies have been trying to cancel Christians and even blot out God if that were possible. There is nothing new under the sun. But history has shown that the church has thrived where persecution exists. That’s the good news,” he wrote. “Americans have been blessed to be the anomaly rather than the rule as Christianity has flourished here for centuries. The true church is essential to the health and strength of America, just as Christianity was pivotal to our freedoms and the foundation of this nation. As the church goes, so goes the country, they say.”
“The left, however, has been relentless in its commitment to destroy not only the church, but the very essence of America,” he continued. “We have been under attack from within. Just as they used the COVID-19 ‘crisis’ to restrict churches, suppress the truth, and advance their agendas, they will use the current cancel culture to silence those who have different views.”
“For years, forces of evil have been working hard to purge the light and silence Christians. As a result, we live in a culture that calls evil good,” he explained. “What is bewildering is they accuse those of us on the right of not being tolerant when they are the ones who are intolerant!”
Fiorazo went on to explain that the efforts to Cancel Christianity, coupled with the large increase in lukewarm churches reveal that Jesus’ return is fast approaching.
“The stage had been set for nearly a century. The players were put in place decade by decade. What we see being played out before our eyes is part of the antichrist spirit of the age,” Fiorazo underscored. “Most would agree we are in a cultural crisis of rebellion against God to the point sin is openly celebrated.”
“We, believers in Christ, must fight through all the lies, confusion, counterfeits, double standards, opposition, and big tech turmoil,” he urged. “We must be reminded that Jesus, our Redeemer and King is preparing His army. Judgment is coming. He is returning!”
We are told in Scripture that the increasing hostility toward believers would be a key characteristic of the time prior to Jesus Return:
2 Timothy 3:1,12-13 KJV – “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come… Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.”
