Christian Teen Silenced on Zoom — Then the Governor Stepped In

A junior at Arkansas Connections Academy (ARCA) learned a hard truth this year. In modern America, a young person can say almost anything in school — except the name of Jesus.

Every day, students at this online public school join a “social time” Zoom session. They can talk freely about anything they choose, as long as their comments are not violent, vulgar, or obscene.

On September 23, 2025, sixteen-year-old Zion Ramos decided to use his two minutes to speak about something deeper.

Inspired by the memorial service of Charlie Kirk, Zion told his classmates:

“We don’t know how long we have. One day, it’ll all be over. When our time is up, all we will have is eternity… and we need to decide where we want to spend it.”

He wasn’t shouting.
He wasn’t preaching hate.
He wasn’t attacking anyone.

He was sharing his faith.

The teacher monitoring the call muted him instantly. Moments later, she removed him from the Zoom meeting entirely — cutting off his message mid-sentence.

Why?

For talking about heaven.
For talking about eternity.
For talking about Jesus.

It was a brazen violation of Zion’s religious freedom, especially in an age where After School Satan Clubs are routinely allowed in elementary schools.

That same week, First Liberty Institute sent ARCA a demand letter reminding them of what the Supreme Court already made clear in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District: The First Amendment “doubly protects” religious speech.

And then something remarkable happened.

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders ordered an investigation.

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ARCA suddenly changed its tune.

The school invited Zion back to speak, publicly guaranteed him three whole minutes to share his faith, and agreed to complete religious liberty training. Officials also pledged that students’ free speech and free exercise rights would be honored going forward.

Zion won.

“We are grateful that school officials acknowledge how concerning this situation was,” First Liberty said in their statement. Zion himself responded with the courage of a young believer beyond his years:

“Christians must stand up, speak out, and defend our right to share what we believe.”

In a time when many students feel pressured into silence, one young man refused to hide his faith — and the state was forced to back down.

May his example inspire all of us.

In Scripture, God repeatedly uses the young to shame the powerful. David against Goliath. Daniel before kings.

Here, another young believer stood firm while the system tried to silence him. And when he refused to back down, the truth prevailed. This moment is a reminder that religious liberty survives not by accident, but because courageous Christians insist on exercising it.

Martin Mawyer is the President of Christian Action Network, host of the “Shout Out Patriots” podcast, and author of When Evil Stops Hiding. Subscribe for more action alerts, cultural commentary, and real-world campaigns defending faith, family, and freedom.