Fighting Words? School Stands by Jesus Ban

A school district in California is standing by its decision to ban any reference to God or Jesus in a high school graduation speech.

The news comes after 18-year-old Brooks Hamby thanked Jesus in his salutatorian speech last month even though school administrators had taken out references to Jesus and the Christian faith in three previous versions of his speech.

"I was really surprised the school would deny my speech not once, twice, but three times," Hamby told Fox News host Todd Starnes. "I just wanted to say a few nice words and allow people to see the good news, which is the Gospel."

Starnes reports attorneys for the Brawley Union School District are defending the school district's right to censor graduation speeches and ban any speech that references God or Jesus.

"It is well established in the Ninth Circuit and California that a public school salutatorian has no constitutional right to lead a prayer or include sectarian or proselytizing content in his/her graduation speech," attorneys from the San Diego law firm of Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud and Romo said in a letter.

Meanwhile, Liberty Institute, the law firm representing Hamby, made it clear the legal fight is far from over.

"The school does not want to put this issue behind them," Liberty Institute attorney Jeremy Dys told Fox News. "All options are on the table. Based on the amount of money it cost those attorneys to write that letter, I'd say the school district has a $10-20,000 down payment for a lawsuit."

Dys added that if the school district wants a fight, "we may be willing to oblige them."