South Carolina lawmakers are advancing a double dose of proselytizing in public schools. House Bill 4762 authorizes public schools to adopt volunteer chaplain programs and requires the display of the Ten Commandments and other religious materials in classrooms.
The bill has already passed the South Carolina House of Representatives, so it is critical that state senators oppose the bill now.
HB 4762 would allow school boards to employ religious chaplains — or accept them as volunteers — to interact with students during the school day. This would effectively replace the valuable support of trained school counselors with religious figures, offering only religious parables as “solutions” during stressful times. There is a critical shortage of mental health professionals for students, and this bill would push religion on students instead of providing them the support they need. No student should be abandoned in their time of need, yet this bill threatens to do exactly that.
Furthermore, HB 4762 would require a large display of the Ten Commandments in every classroom in every public school in the state. The bill, which curiously lists 11 commandments on the required display, strictly regulates the size of the font and requires the display to be prominently displayed on the poster. The U.S. Supreme Court held in Stone v. Graham that “the pre-eminent purpose for posting the Ten Commandments on schoolroom walls is plainly religious in nature.” Such religious displays have no place in our secular, religiously diverse public schools.
It is imperative that we fight back to prevent South Carolina schools from violating the Constitution with school-sponsored religious chaplains. Urge your lawmakers to reject this bill! We’ve included talking points through the “Take Action” button that you can send to your senator; you can customize them by clicking on the pencil icon. A personalized message is the best way to sway lawmakers, so if you have experiences to share, we strongly encourage you to tell your story. For best results, please be succinct and polite.
(Note: You must live in South Carolina to take part in this action alert.)