(The Hill) — On Monday, President Donald Trump announced that his Department of Education would soon provide guidance to safeguard the rights of individuals to pray in public schools.
Trump made the announcement during remarks at the Museum of the Bible to the White House Religious Liberty Commission.
“The Department of Education is planning to issue new guidelines to ensure the complete protection of the right to pray in our public schools,” Trump stated, receiving applause.
Trump shared the story of Hannah Allen from Texas, a young girl who, a few years ago, faced punishment after she “organized a group of classmates to pray for a peer who was injured.” According to Trump, the school’s principal ruled that the prayer could not occur in the presence of other students.
The issue of prayer in public schools has been a recurring topic in legal battles over the years. A notable case in 2023 saw the Supreme Court’s conservative majority siding with a high school football coach who faced reprimand for conducting prayers at the 50-yard line after games.
Following that decision, the Biden administration’s Department of Education released new guidelines stating that while school employees could pray during their workday, they could not coerce students into participating in prayer or other religious practices.
In recent years, various red states have attempted to incorporate more Christian teachings into public education. Oklahoma required Bibles in every classroom, while Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas mandated the display of the Ten Commandments. However, these efforts have encountered challenges within the legal system.
The president’s visit to the museum also came in the wake of White House officials launching a review of some of the Smithsonian’s museums with an aim of “alignment” with Trump’s “directive to celebrate American exceptionalism, remove divisive or partisan narratives, and restore confidence in our shared cultural institutions.”
