Texas State Board of Education Hears Long, Contentious Debate on Religious References in the Classroom
Last week, the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) invited the public to give feedback on instructional materials that are being considered under the new adoption process set up by HB 1605. Approximately 100 people signed up to testify with a strong majority focusing their testimony on whether or not religious references and the Bible have a place in the classroom. Among the materials being considered are English Language Arts instructional materials that provide a classical education but also references to the Bible and religion. Some of the content included:
- Teaching students about the “Golden Rule”
- The Good Samaritan
- The Prodigal Son
- A story about Queen Esther
The Texas Values policy team testified in June in support of materials that use the Biblical references to increase students’ reading comprehension and their understanding of history. However, since the meeting in June, a large group of left-leaning activists have campaigned against the English Language Arts materials because the materials reference the Bible, Christianity, and religion. The left-leaning group Texas Freedom Network released a report in June with attacks on the references to the Bible and certain religious figures like Martin Luther King Jr. being Christian. Last Tuesday was a key opportunity for the public to voice their opinion before the State Board of Education votes and approves the materials in November. Out of the 100 testifiers, an overwhelming majority attacked the materials for mentioning the Bible Many testifiers specifically criticized the story of Queen Esther being referenced. Due to the many claims that students were being “coerced” into religion by the religious references, the Texas Attorney’s General office provided neutral, expert testimony on the First Amendment. Our partners at First Liberty institute provided further testimony to explain that teaching the Bible and other religious content is protected by the First Amendment.
Students are allowed to read the Bible and other religious materials in the classroom. In 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a law that allows students to take an elective course on the Bible. (Chapter 28 of Texas Education Code)
Texas Values also hosted a press conference with First Liberty Institute, Texas Eagle Forum, Moms For Liberty, and Concerned Women for America of Texas.
Later during the week, the Texas State Board of Education had a discussion of their recommendations for legislation in the next Legislative Session beginning in 2025. Among the topics discussed were strengthening the current legislation that protects kids from sexually explicit and harmful library materials. The SBOE will vote on their official list of recommendations during the meeting in November.
The battle is not over when it comes to protecting students’ First Amendment rights to learn about the Bible in the classroom. Despite Republican SBOE members having a supermajority (10-5), Texans still need to encourage members to not reject content because of their religious references. The next SBOE meeting will be November 19-22.