Arkansas student removed from Zoom after sharing Christian testimony
On Sept. 23, 2025, Zion Ramos, a junior at Arkansas Connections Academy (an online public school), was muted and removed from a class 'social time' Zoom session after sharing a two‑minute Christian testimony referencing eternity and heaven/hell. First Liberty Institute sent a demand letter to school officials this week alleging a First Amendment violation, copied state and federal education and legal officials, and set an Oct. 10 deadline seeking remedies including an opportunity for Ramos to speak and mandatory staff training on religious liberty.
Education
Legal
🔍 Key Facts
- On Sept. 23, 2025, ARCA student Zion Ramos was muted and removed from an online 'social time' Zoom session after delivering a ~2‑minute Christian statement.
- First Liberty Institute sent a demand letter to ARCA and copied Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, AG Tim Griffin, state Education Secretary Jacob Oliva and U.S. Education Secretary Linda McMahon; the letter gives the school until Oct. 10 to respond.
- The letter demands that the school allow Ramos three minutes to speak at a future session, pledge not to censor students' religious expression, and complete religious‑liberty training for officials within two months.
📍 Contextual Background
- U.S. federal law Section 230 provides online platforms with broad legal protections that allow them to make content-moderation decisions without being held liable for those decisions.