Media Contact
Adam Allington
The states of Texas and Oklahoma are taking steps to advance controversial Bible-based curriculum offerings in public schools. Teachers’ unions have opposed the measures claiming that it violates the separation of church and state as well as the academic freedom of teachers.
Lee Adler
Senior Extension Associate, Labor and Unions
Lee Adler is an expert on employment law and unions at Cornell University. Depending upon the substance of the directives, he says teachers without any protections inside their collective bargaining agreements will need to be on alert.
Adler says:
“Even in states where teachers are unionized, it would be a bit unusual to find that teachers have some right to ‘rearrange’ a curricular formula that has specific directives about the placement of religion in their courses.
“One possibility could be that teachers’ unions might educate their members about ways to teach both religious and non-religious versions of a topic, and not be denied their ability to explain these events in ways that are consistent with their consciences, and not simply mimic the official religious line.
“All will depend on the language of the policies from the state boards of education, and if too restrictive, then their unions will have to consider the First Amendment attack, which is far from a sure winner.”
