{"id":375802,"date":"2016-03-31T21:36:23","date_gmt":"2016-04-01T02:36:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/state\/oklahoma-law\/oklahoma-prayer-in-public-schools-laws.html"},"modified":"2016-06-20T19:50:10","modified_gmt":"2016-06-21T00:50:10","slug":"oklahoma-prayer-in-public-schools-laws","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/state\/oklahoma-law\/oklahoma-prayer-in-public-schools-laws.html","title":{"rendered":"Oklahoma Prayer in Public Schools Laws"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Oklahoma Prayer in Public Schools Laws<\/h1>\n
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Created by FindLaw’s team<\/a> of legal writers and editors<\/i><\/p>\n\n | Last updated\n

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The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution includes both a Free Exercise of Religion Clause<\/a> that guarantees the ability to express one\u2019s religion and the Establishment Clause<\/a> that prohibits the institutionalization of religion by any federal, state, or city government. The two sides of constitutional religious rights come to a head in the issue of school prayer. The Constitution requires both a separation of church and state and also the freedom of religion, seemingly requiring both a ban on school prayer<\/a> and the ability for kids to pray at school.<\/p>\n

In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court decided that it\u2019s unconstitutional<\/a> for public schools to lead students in prayers. However, schools, can start the day with a silent meditation where students may choose to pray. In Oklahoma, schools are required to observe a minute of silence<\/a> for reflection, prayer, meditation or anything else that doesn\u2019t distract other students.
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Oklahoma Religious Freedom Bill<\/h2>\n

In 2013, the House of Representatives voted 79 to 13 to pass House Bill 1940<\/a>, which would require public schools to \u201cprotect\u201d religious student expression and allow students to express religious beliefs in homework, art, or other assignments. The idea is that religious viewpoints<\/a> would be treated equally to secular viewpoints. Critics argue this is unnecessary as religious expression.  <\/p>\n

The following table outlines the prayer in public schools law<\/a> in Oklahoma.<\/p>\n\n
Code Section<\/b><\/td>\nOklahoma Statutes Title 70, Section 11-101.1 \u2013 Voluntary Prayer<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>
What Is Allowed?<\/b><\/td>\nOklahoma public schools must permit those students and teachers who wish to participate in voluntary prayer to do so.<\/td>\n<\/tr>
What Is Prohibited?<\/b><\/td>\nSome of the religion-related activities that have been found unconstitutional are:
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