A group of rightwing Christian organizations is pushing a model bill to require public school districts to allow students to receive religious education during school hours, according to footage from a December meeting of the National Association of Christian Lawmakers.
During the meeting, a group of state lawmakers voted to create a model bill that would allow students to leave school grounds to receive religious education for one to five hours a week, a practice referred to as religious release time.
Far-right linked group LifeWise pushing model bill to allow students to leave school grounds for religious ‘release time’.
An internal LifeWise document for instructors titled “Difficult Questions from Students,” which was published online by the progressive group Honesty for Ohio Education, recommends LifeWise instructors tell students that divorce, LGBTQ+ identities and non-married couples living together are sinful.
Release time is regulated under two supreme court cases dating back to the 1940s, which limit religious education in schools but allow for students to leave campus to take religious classes.
