Prayer in Public Schools Protected Under Constitution: Trump Administration

Prayer in public schools, provided it isn’t coerced, is protected under the Constitution, according to new guidance from the U.S. Department of Education.

“Parents and children have a constitutional right to take part in public school in ways that align with their sincerely held religious beliefs,” the department said. “School officials should allow members of the public school community to act and speak according to their faith.”

The update is required periodically under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the government said.

The prayer is protected as long as others’ rights are respected and schools don’t engage institutionally in religious acts or speech or prioritize one faith over another or secularism over religion, according to the department.

“The Trump administration is proud to stand with students, parents and faculty who wish to exercise their First Amendment rights in schools across our great nation,” stated Linda McMahon, the U.S. education secretary.

“Our Constitution safeguards the free exercise of religion as one of the guiding principles of our republic, and we will vigorously protect that right in America’s public schools,” she said.

The guidance leans on a multiple recent Supreme Court rulings dealing with religious expression and freedom in public schools, such as Kennedy v. Bremerton School District. It found that the actions of a Washington state high school football coach who prayed at the 50-yard line after games were constitutionally protected from government restrictions. The Education Department is required by law to periodically reissue guidance on prayer in schools.

The guidance replaces the prior guidelines released by the Biden administration in 2023.

–JNS.org