The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance on prayer in public schools, outlining requirements that are tied to federal education funding.
The guidance states that no public school, teacher or school official “should ever coerce or pressure a student to engage in speech or affirm a viewpoint that would violate the student’s sincere religious beliefs.”
In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said the guidance reaffirms constitutional protections for religious liberty.
“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,” McMahon said.
According to the department, the updated guidance addresses three key First Amendment protections: the right of parents and students to freedom of speech, the right to practice religion freely, and the obligation of public schools to avoid establishing or endorsing religion.
The guidance follows President Donald Trump's remarks in September at the Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C., where he said the department would issue new direction on prayer in public schools.
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