Friend:

When the Supreme Court’s ultra-conservative majority ruled last year in AU’s Kennedy v. Bremerton case that a public school football coach could say a private, personal prayer on the 50-yard line after football games, I warned that religious extremists would misconstrue and exploit that opinion to advance their crusade of inserting coercive prayer and religion into public schools.

That’s exactly what’s been happening in states across America this year. Texas legislators have proposed a trio of bad bills that would require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms, allow religious chaplains to replace qualified school counselors, and allow public schools to schedule a period for prayer and Bible reading. At least five states have proposed bills designed to encourage public school employees to pray with students. We narrowly defeated a West Virginia bill that would have allowed intelligent design creationism in public schools. And we’re seeing those old Project Blitz bills popping up that would allow or even require schools to display “In God We Trust” and offer Bible classes.

The Supreme Court’s Kennedy opinion didn’t change the fact that the Constitution prohibits public schools from sponsoring prayer. This line has always been clear: Public school employees and officials cannot take advantage of their power and position to impose their personal religion on a captive audience of schoolchildren.

That’s why we welcomed updated guidance from the Biden administration’s Department of Education this week that reaffirmed this core tenet of public education: Public schools must be open and inclusive for students of every religion and none. This federal guidance centers the religious freedom of public school students, whose rights should always be the first priority for lawmakers, educators, parents and all of us who care about the vital role public education plays in our society.

At a time when Christian Nationalists and their political allies are attacking public schools from every direction, it’s more important than ever that we support public education. Like the separation of church and state, public schools are a key component of our democracy. In our “One Nation, All Beliefs” pledge, we specifically mention “ensuring public education welcomes everyone and respects the religious freedom of all students, and that public funds support public schools, not private religious institutions.”

If you haven’t already, please take our pledge and share it with your friends and family. We need everyone to be part of the national recommitment to keep church and state separate. Our public schools and our democracy depend on it.

With hope and determination,

Rachel K. Laser
President and CEO