In a victory for religious freedom, the South Dakota House of Representatives voted to kill Senate Bill 51, legislation that would have required all public schools to display a government approved version of the Ten Commandments in every school.
The First Amendment guarantees that students and their families — not politicians or the government — get to decide which religious beliefs, if any, they adopt and what role those beliefs will play in their lives. Senate Bill 51 would have blatantly violated the constitutional protections of religious liberty.
The ACLU applauds House lawmakers for this vote. The following statement can be attributed to Samantha Chapman, ACLU of South Dakota advocacy manager:
“Religious freedom – the right to choose one’s faith without pressure – is essential for American democracy. We’re pleased that House lawmakers voted to uphold the First Amendment rights of students and families.
“Students already have the right to engage in religious exercise and expression at school under current law. Students may, for example, voluntarily pray, read religious literature or engage in other religious activities during recess or lunch. The ACLU has long worked to protect the religious exercise and religious expression rights of students of all faiths in public schools. But there’s a stark difference between voluntary, student-initiated religious exercise and school-sponsored promotion of religion.
“This vote should serve as a reality check for South Dakota lawmakers who want to use public schools to religiously indoctrinate students. Public schools are not Sunday schools, and today’s vote ensures that our public school classrooms will remain spaces where all students, regardless of their faith, feel welcomed.”
About the ACLU of South Dakota
The American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota is a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights. The ACLU of South Dakota is part of a three-state chapter that also includes North Dakota and Wyoming. The team in South Dakota is supported by staff in those states.
The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit communities. The ACLU of South Dakota carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level, and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of South Dakota.
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