FRANKFORT, Ky. (LEX 18) — A bill that would allow teachers and faculty members in Kentucky’s public schools to share their religious beliefs freely has passed through the House and will head to the Senate for a vote.
House Bill 547 follows a United States Supreme Court ruling, which was made after a high school football coach in the state of Washington was fired for insisting on prayer for his players. The state bill will allow for prayer and religious programs at school and school-sanctioned events.
"This is a piece of legislation that will hopefully embolden these Christian teachers, who are not ashamed of their faith, but sometimes out of fear do not say anything about their faith, or hold prayer groups with other teachers," said HB 547 sponsor, Representative Chris Fugate (R-84).
Fugate said the need for this legislation on the state level, despite the similar ruling from the Supreme Court, is necessary to offset opposition from protestors or those who might challenge the validity of the ruling on the state level.
HB 547 also contains language that allows anyone to refrain from taking part in prayer or religious programs without consequence.
“The passage of HB 547 is a win for religious freedom and for the First Amendment rights of teachers and school employees across the Commonwealth," said David Walls, Executive Director of The Family Foundation. "As the U.S. Supreme Court made clear in the Coach Kennedy decision, no American should ever be fired by the government for exercising their private religious expression, including saying a prayer.
"HB 547 helps protect against out-of-state special interest groups who demand that schools adopt inaccurate interpretations of the First Amendment that unlawfully restrict the freedom of students and teachers," said Walls. "The exercise of First Amendment rights on public school campuses in Kentucky is a critical component of the education of our students."
"We're disappointed to hear the House passed #HB547, allowing public school teachers to engage in religious expression while on the job," the ACLU of Kentucky tweeted. "#HB547 ignores a little thing called 'separation of church and state,' and will further marginalize students of minority faiths. Call your legislators at 1-800-372-7181 & tell them to oppose #HB547 because it will undermine students' and families' constitutional rights & lead to costly litigation for our already underfunded public schools."
