GLSEN Condemns SCOTUS Ruling Gutting Religious Freedom in School

GLSEN Condemns U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Eroding Separation of Church and State in Public Education

WASHINGTON, D.C. --This week, in Kennedy v. Bremerton, the U.S. Supreme Court held that a public school must allow a football coach to pray on the 50-yard line immediately after games, upending decades of precedent that protected the religious freedom of public school students.

GLSEN Executive Director Melanie Willingham-Jaggers (they/she) issued the following statement:

“It’s no coincidence that this ruling comes close after a devastating blow to the separation of church and state in Carson v. Makin, and a gutting reversal of Roe. It’s yet another disappointing ruling rooted in anti-democratic extremism. A vocal minority are pushing their agenda on the rest of us, and stripping people of their rights everywhere from the doctor’s office to the classroom. The conservative Justices on the Court are essentially encouraging schools to maintain a hostile school climate that treats kids differently based on their faith or religious beliefs. There’s no place for religious coercion in our public education system. LGBTQ+ students are among the hardest hit when schools exclude or stigmatize kids based on their background, and are sure to be targeted by extremists exploiting the erosion of this wall between church and state. It’s time for school leaders and lawmakers to affirm religious freedom in education and shield our kids from extremists’ attacks on their rights. All kids, regardless of religion, race, gender or sexual orientation, deserve a school experience that is affirming and inclusive of their full selves.”