Texas bill aims to safeguard right of school employees to pray and express faith

Legislative discussions are buzzing in Texas as a new bill emerges to safeguard school employees’ right to pray and express their religious beliefs while performing their duties.

Texas Values Action Testifies in Favor of SB 965!

“We desire school employees to be protected in their private religious expression and the Kennedy decision is a touchdown for religious freedom." –@jonathan_covey

SB 965 will protect public school employees to engage in… pic.twitter.com/qz3fBXsgpn

— Texas Values Action (@TxValuesAction) March 3, 2025

This move follows a notable U.S. Supreme Court ruling that upheld a high school football coach’s right to pray on the field after games, setting the stage for similar protections in Texas schools.

On Monday, the Texas State Senate Committee on State Affairs took up SB 965, a bill introduced by Republican State Senator Tan Parker from Flower Mound.

SB 965 aims to ensure that school district and charter school employees can engage in religious speech or prayer while at work, adding legal protections to their rights.

The proposed legislation maintains that these protection measures stand unless a violation is proven to serve a “compelling state interest,” and even then, it must utilize the least restrictive means available.

Senator Parker highlighted the importance of the 2022 Supreme Court case Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, which supported the rights of a Washington state coach who lost his job for praying on the field.

“Grounded in the Kennedy decision, Senate Bill 965 codifies the right of school employees to engage in personal religious speech or prayer while on duty,” Parker explained.

Support for the bill came from Donald Gardner, executive director of the Texas Faith & Freedom Coalition, who praised the long-standing commitment to religious liberty among Baptists in the U.S.

He underscored that the founders were not looking to guarantee freedom from religion but rather freedom of religion, emphasizing that any coercion in the bill would contradict its intention.

After Monday’s hearing, SB 965 is now awaiting action in committee, which could pave the way for significant changes in how schools manage religious expression.

Additionally, Republican State Senator Mayes Middleton recently proposed a separate bill, SB 11, aiming to require public school districts to incorporate periods of prayer and religious text reading across campuses.

This initiative aligns with Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s recognition of SB 11 as a priority for the upcoming 2025 legislative session.