Background: House Bill 35 would require local school boards to authorize the use of the school district’s publicly funded property and resources to facilitate student-led prayer. The bill states school boards may not prohibit resources, such as public announcement systems, “to facilitate the prayer and communicate the prayer to those in attendance”.
Our Position: We oppose HB 35. The ACLU works to ensure that all students, regardless of faith or belief, feel safe and welcome in our public schools so that they may obtain the quality education necessary to pursue their dreams. We do not believe in the use of public resources to facilitate, project, or force religious beliefs. This is a violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state. HB 35 is unnecessary and divisive. Every child in the United States already has the right to pray in school on a voluntary basis — it's called the First Amendment.
