Religious Liberty in Schools

First Liberty Institute defends people of all faiths who are facing legal retribution for expressing their religious beliefs in school. As subject-matter experts, First Liberty is committed to providing Americans with effective and practical resources on how to safeguard their constitutional rights. When the religious freedom of a student or teacher is violated, our experienced attorneys and legal team are ready to fight to defend and protect their rights.

From kindergarten through graduate school, students and teachers face professional, personal, and academic threats for living out their faith and refusing to compromise their beliefs. Attacks on religious liberty “at the schoolhouse gate” primarily involve school officials prohibiting students or teachers from sharing their faith or exercising their religious free speech rights.

Even more unfortunate, is that many students, teachers and other members of the academic community are unsure about what rights they have to express their faith at school. This “fear of the unknown” has led to the misapplication of the law – even outright hostility to religious expression. Thus, religious freedom violations have increased exponentially in our nation’s schools, affecting people of all faiths, including:

  • Students
  • Parents
  • Teachers, principals, and staff
  • Religious organizations and clubs

The First Amendment protects religious expression in schools and is also guarded by important precedents set in cases such as Tinker v. Des Moines. In the 1969 decision, Justice Abe Fortas wrote:

“It can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.”

At First Liberty Institute, we equip students, parents, teachers, and staff with the knowledge they need to exercise their rights in accordance with the law, without fear of discrimination.

Stay Protected

Students and Teachers Protection KitYour Religious Freedom Doesn’t Stop at the Schoolhouse Gate

Find out just how much freedom you have to live out your faith in school with our FREE Religious Liberty Protection Kit for Students and Teachers

In today’s increasingly secular culture, expressing your faith at school has come under increasing attack. Students and teachers have been led to believe they cannot exercise their faith while at school because it will violate the law in some way.

This is simply false. The reality is, students and teachers have a long list of rights affirmed by the U.S. Supreme Court and protected by the Constitution.

In this must-have resource, our legal experts address all of the common misconceptions surrounding faith in school, and tell you exactly where the law actually draws the line. (Spoiler alert—it gives you much more freedom than you may think!)

Here are just a few of the questions answered within the kit:

  • Are students allowed to share their faith with other students?
  • Can teachers discuss religion with students?
  • Can students bring their Bible to school?
  • Are student-led prayers before football games, assemblies, or other events allowed?
  • Is religious language allowed in graduation speeches?
  • Can students have religious clubs at their schools?

Don’t leave your faith at the schoolhouse gate. Equip yourself with our free protection kit today!



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