Trump boosts school prayer rights
Action will also help faith groups
In a bid to solidify his evangelical base, President Donald Trump took steps Thursday to give religious organizations easier access to federal programs and he reaffirmed students’ rights to pray in public schools.
Under orders from Trump, nine Cabinet departments proposed rules intended to remove “regulatory burdens” on religious organizations participating in federal programs by eliminating a requirement that they refer people to alternative providers upon request. Much of that follows through on an executive order by Trump from 2018 that aims to put religious groups on equal footing when competing for federal grants and other funding.
At the same time, the Education Department issued its first updated guidance on school prayer since 2003. While Trump promised “big action” this month, the new guidance appears to make few major changes.
The expansion of faithbased groups’ ability to participate in government programs is a significant show of support for an evangelical constituency long a vital part of Trump’s base and it follows a Christian magazine’s call for his removal from office.
Trump planned to announce the guidance on school prayer at a White House event later Thursday. A directive orders states to verify that school districts have no policies limiting constitutionally protected prayer and to refer violators to the Education Department. That’s much like the 2003 guidance, but the directive goes further in requiring states to provide ways for making complaints against schools.
Students can pray on their own or together during lunch or other free times, for example, and student speakers can pray at assemblies or sports games as long as they weren’t chosen to speak based on their religious perspectives, according to the guidance.
“Our actions today will protect the constitutional rights of students, teachers, and faith-based institutions,” Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said in a statement.
Hours before Trump’s event, federal agencies announced moves to bolster faith-based organizations. For example, a proposal from the Department of Health and Human Services would eliminate a requirement that religiousbased social service organizations inform clients that they can also receive services from groups without connection to a particular religion.
Civil rights advocates said the administration risked empowering discriminatory behavior in the name of religious freedom.
Public schools have been barred from leading students in classroom prayer since 1962.