A new law in Texas that allows chaplains to work as counselors in the Republican-run state’s public schools is unconstitutional, rights groups have claimed.
Opponents argue it is a violation of religious freedom and the separation of church and state guaranteed by the US constitution. Lawmakers against the bill called it a “Trojan horse” to evangelize children.
The law, passed in May, states “a school district may employ a chaplain instead of a school counselor to perform the duties required of a school counselor under this title”.
A chaplain employed by the school is not required to be certified by the state board as an educator or undergo any training.
About 100 chaplains, along with the Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty (BJC), the Interfaith Alliance and Texas Impact, have written a joint letter to public school boards across the state to vote against implementing the practice in their districts.
The BJC’s executive director, Amanda Tyler, said: “Public schools are not the place for religious instruction – that is best left to houses of worship, religious institutions and families.”
Tyler is also the parent of a Dallas public school student. She said she was “deeply concerned” about the rise of Christian nationalism in the state.
She said: “Christian nationalism conflates religious and political authority, and our public schools should not be endorsing religion – they should continue to leave that up to the students and their families. School districts should reject this misguided effort to inject more religion and division in our schools.”
The Rev Franz Schemmel, a pastor at Messiah Lutheran church in Weatherford, also signed the letter in support of keeping religion and public school education separate.
He said: “Public schools are not an appropriate setting for sectarian chaplains of any description, let alone the freelance, unsupervised chaplains this legislation envisions.”
Conservative lawmakers in the state have attempted to pass other similarly controversial laws in recent years.
In 2021, a law was passed requiring schools to display any “In God We Trust” signs or posters that were donated to them. In May, lawmakers tried to make it a requirement to have the Ten Commandments be displayed in Texas classrooms, but the bill eventually died after missing a crucial deadline.
