Friend:

In the past month, we’ve shared powerful stories from AU staff members, teachers and young people about their experiences with religion in public schools as part of our Know Your Rights campaign for students, parents and teachers.

Now we’d like to hear your story.

Did your athletic coach force (or strongly encourage, hint hint) players to pray during games and practices?

Did you have teachers who assigned Bible readings or taught religious doctrines like creationism during science, history or health classes?

Did your public school invite faith leaders to speak at assemblies or include prayers during graduations, sporting events or morning announcements?

Or was your public school a shining example of church-state separation, where all students were made to feel welcome, regardless of their religious or nonreligious beliefs?

Please share your experiences with religion in public schools. We may include them in a future issue of our Church & State magazine or on our website and other digital platforms.

Yes, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down school-sponsored prayers almost 60 years ago, but you and I know that religious extremists and their allies on school boards and in legislatures continue trying to impose their beliefs on public school kids.

Just last week, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem doubled down on her promise of “putting prayer back” in public schools. And conservative media is in a tizzy over Americans United’s recent (and successful!) demand that a Tennessee public school district stop its football and other coaches from leading students in prayer.

AU’s Know Your Rights guides are one way we can help to empower students, teachers and parents to make our public schools more inclusive and respectful of students’ religious freedom rights.

Another way we can improve church-state separation in our public schools is by sharing our stories about what happens to real people when this fundamental American principle is ignored.

Help bring attention to these violations—tell us your story about religion in public schools.

Thank you for helping us ensure our public schools are welcoming places for students of all religions and none. We couldn’t do this work without you.

Rob Boston
Senior Adviser, Editor of Church & State magazine

P.S. If you’ve missed the Know Your Rights guides or the stories we’ve shared, you can find them at au.org/knowyourrights (you’ll find stories from AU’s staff under “Latest News” at the bottom of the page).