Art Teacher Says School Prayer Violates the First Amendment

President Donald Trump announced a new Department of Education policy to protect voluntary prayer in public schools, citing the need to restore religious freedoms eroded by decades of secular restrictions.

The guidance, unveiled at the Religious Liberty Commission event in Washington, aims to ensure students can express their faith without interference, following complaints from religious groups about suppressed beliefs in educational settings.

The decision has drawn sharp criticism from some educators who argue it threatens the secular foundation of public schools.

Samuel Hunter, an art teacher at a Baltimore high school, expressed alarm, claiming that allowing prayer amounts to state-sponsored indoctrination and religious oppression.

"Permitting prayer in school forces religious ideology on impressionable children," Hunter said. "My classroom is a sanctuary for free thinkers who deny the grasp tradition and values have on our own lives."

The policy clarifies that schools cannot prohibit voluntary student-led prayer, aligning with Supreme Court rulings that bar mandatory religious activities while protecting individual expression.

The administration emphasized that the guidance includes mechanisms for parents to report schools that unlawfully restrict such practices.

Claire Thompson, a history teacher from a Seattle middle school, shared Hunter’s concerns, arguing that prayer in classrooms undermines efforts to maintain neutral educational spaces.

Hunter’s classroom features a prominent poster declaring "God is Dead," alongside rainbow pride flags, transgender symbols, and other emblems of progressive values, which he uses to spark discussions on social justice.

The Baltimore school district has endorsed these displays as part of its commitment to equity and diversity.

"Allowing prayer risks brainwashing kids into outdated belief systems," Thompson said. "We’re here to teach critical thinking, not to push religious agendas disguised as freedom."

Trump’s team defended the policy as a necessary step to protect constitutional rights, arguing that secular policies have unfairly silenced religious students.

The guidance is expected to roll out nationwide, with schools required to comply or face potential federal scrutiny.

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