(The Center Square) – A Texas-based conservative Christian organization issued a warning Tuesday to an Ohio educational consulting group counseling public school boards on Ohio’s new law allowing religious release time for students.
The First Liberty Institute sent a letter to North East Ohio Learning Associates on behalf of LifeWise Academy, saying the proposed policy recommendation runs afoul with state law and could lead to lawsuits for schools that adopt it.
Neola, based in Cleveland, is a private company that gives policy and guideline recommendations to help school boards follow the law.
First Liberty claims the policy recommendation violates the First Amendment and imposes subjective standards. First Liberty also wants to know the schools that have adopted the policy and the schools Neola advised.
“Neola’s proposed policy directly contradicts the explicit direction of the Ohio Legislature,” said Jeremy Dys, senior counsel at First Liberty Institute. “School districts must create policies consistent with the new law requiring release time education, not policies that chill core First Amendment activity. School districts should be warned that, if they adopt Neola’s current, proposed policy they are greatly increasing their liability and will almost certainly face a lawsuit.”
First Liberty says Neola has counseled schools to prohibit groups from distributing materials during release time, including snacks, candy, clothes or trinkets. That, the Christian group says, is a violation of free speech and adds restrictions not included in state law.
Neola did not respond to a request for comment on First Liberty’s letter.
Religious release time was included in the Ohio Parents Bill of Rights, which was signed into law in early January and took effect earlier this month.
Push by the Republican-dominated Ohio Legislature, religious release time is in conflict with new proposed legislation from other Republican lawmakers, who want to increase the amount of instructional time for students and limit time away from school.
Yet another proposed bill from Republicans would increase time allowed out of school for students participating in things like 4-H and Future Farmers of America.
