New laws and policies across the country are dismantling the idea celebrated by some, rejected by others that prayer and proselytization should be kept out of public schools. Increasingly, religion is being injected all over the place.
With the Supreme Court rapidly changing its views on what is and is not permissible, policymakers particularly in conservative states are pushing the limits on incorporating religion into the school day. Public school classrooms are required to post the Ten Commandments, Bible verses are being injected into social studies curriculums and some school districts are required to allow students to leave campus midday to participate in Bible study.
Like a teenager with a new car, states are trying to figure out how far and fast they can go, said Michael A. Helfand, a law professor at Pepperdine Caruso School of Law and an expert in church-state law.
