HB 1306 / SB 613 - Baltimore County Board of Education – Voluntary Nonsectarian Prayer at 3 School–Sponsored Student Events – Referendum

The ACLU opposes HB 1306 / SB 613 on the grounds that prayer during a school-sponsored event is unconstitutional. This bill attempts to mask its religiously motivated intent behind the guise of a public forum. By emphasizing the voluntariness of the student-sponsored message or prayer, the bill attempts to circumvent the restrictions set out by the Supreme Court in Lee v. Weisman, and continue the practice of prayer in schools.