This bill would authorize school districts to hire religious chaplains. In districts that do hire or accept volunteer work from chaplains, the bill would require schools to provide office space for those chaplains.
We oppose this bill because: A public school chaplaincy would violate students’ and families’ right to religious freedom.
Like similar school chaplain bills that have been copied and pasted in other state legislatures, this bill would authorize chaplains to counsel student and handle sensitive information without any of the qualifications or certifications requires of school counselors or support staff.
Read more about the civil-rights problems raised by public school chaplain laws in the ACLU article “Why Allowing Chaplains in Public Schools Harms Students.”
