Contact: State Rep. Mike Reynolds
Capitol: (405) 557-7337

OKLAHOMA CITY (November 26, 2007) – State Rep. Mike Reynolds plans to file legislation creating a Religious Viewpoints Anti-Discrimination Act that will create a level playing field for religious and secular expression in Oklahoma’s public schools.

"Oklahoma families need to know their children will not be persecuted for exercising their constitutional rights and expressing religious beliefs at school," said Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City. "While students and guest speakers can’t use state resources to proselytize, they have every right to express their personal beliefs and should be given the same protections afforded non-religious or even anti-religious officials."

The legislation, modeled after a Texas law, states, "A school district shall treat a student’s voluntary expression of a religious viewpoint, if any, on an otherwise permissible subject in the same manner the district treats a student’s voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint on an otherwise permissible subject and may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject."

The legislation will include safeguards to assure individual religious viewpoints are not censored in limited public forums for student speakers, that speaker selection will be based on neutral criteria, and that disclaimers must be read or printed clearly establishing the individual nature of the expressed viewpoint.

Reynolds’ legislation will require schools to adopt new anti-discrimination policies covering Student Expression of Religious Viewpoints, Student Speakers at Non-Graduation Events, Student Speakers at Graduation Ceremonies, Religious Expressions in Class Assignments, and Freedom to Organize Religious Groups and Activities.

"This law will level the playing field for religious students and ensure they don’t have to waive their constitutional rights when they walk through the school doors," Reynolds said. "My bill complies with U.S. Supreme Court rulings and I expect it will receive broad bipartisan support."

The Oklahoma Legislature will convene for its 2008 session in early February.