Governor Rick Scott recently signed SB 436, known as the “Florida Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act,” which prohibits public school districts from discrimination against students, parents, or personnel on basis of religious views or expression.

Sponsored by Sen. Dennis Baxley, SB 436 will take effect on July 1, 2017. Baxley said, “Part of what we’re protecting is those basic rights for religious expression — which are protected free speech — and we’re letting people know it doesn’t stop at the property line of the school site. We owe our educators some clarity on this so it can be applied uniformly across the state and in a way that respects all faiths and [people of] no faith.”

The “Religious Liberties Act” requires “school districts to treat a student’s voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject the same as the district treats a secular viewpoint. The bill also requires districts to allow students to wear religious clothing, accessories and jewelry to the extent secular items with symbols or messages are also allowed.  Students must be allowed to pray or participate in religious activities or gatherings before, during and after school, to the same extent secular activities or clubs are allowed. Students are also allowed to express religious beliefs in coursework without discrimination, and this bill prohibits reward or penalty based on religious content where the assignment requires student viewpoint to be expressed.”

Regarding public school employees, the bill mandates they “may not be prevented from participating in religious activities on school grounds initiated by students prior to or after the school day, provided these activities are voluntary and do not conflict with the employee’s other assignments. School districts must give religious groups the same access to school facilities and ability to announce or advertise meetings as given to secular groups.”

Read the Press Release and join the conversation on Facebook!