In May, the Texas legislature passed Senate Bill 763, declaring that “a school district or open-enrollment charter school may employ or accept as a volunteer a chaplain to provide support, services, and programs for students.” Governor Greg Abbott signed it into law in June.
Now over 100 Texas chaplains have signed a letter to school board members across the state, asking them to reject this option.
Supporters of the law have argued that it would be a great way to beef up schools’ ability to provide mental health care and counseling for students. Those supporters have been careful to de-emphasize the religious aspect.
Bill author Sen. Mayes Middleton proposed that since school districts are “in need of additional options to further aid their students,” the bill would help by permitting “school district to hire a school chaplain to perform the duties required of a school counselor.” But Middleton after the bill passed the Senate posted on-line that it “will allow the important role chaplains serve for pastoral care and representing God’s presence within our public schools.”
While many Texans have argued against this attempt to inject religion into schools, the letter from the chaplains, representing a wide range of denominations and faiths, is a clear rebuke of the law and an explanation of all the ways in which it fails.
Because of our training and experience, we know that chaplains are not a replacement for school counselors or safety measures in our public schools, and we urge you to reject this flawed policy option: It is harmful to our public schools and the students and families they serve.
They point out that professional chaplains have “specific education and expertise,” including, typically a graduate theological degree and support from an organization connected to their religious tradition. Professional chaplains may also acquire two years of religious leadership experience, and those that work in health care get even more training.
The new law allows a school district to give any employee or volunteer the title of “chaplain,” as long as they can pass a background check.
Part of chaplain’s professional training, that letter points out, involves training chaplains to “follow the lead” of the person seeking spiritual help.
For example, a Jewish military chaplain will advocate that a Muslim service member be able to pray the five daily prayers while deployed. A Christian hospital chaplain will help an atheist patient explain to her family her peace of mind that there is no afterlife.
But as the chaplains point out, the law includes no requirement for chaplains to refrain from proselytizing.
Despite the extensive training that professional chaplains receive, the letter says, “we are not qualified for the duties envisioned by SB 763.” Professionals who work with children, such as therapists and police investigators, require special training. The letter writers find the use of school safety funds particularly inappropriate. “Chaplaincy programs do not train chaplains on active shooter situations or to be public safety professionals.”
The chaplains also express concern about the state getting involved in the spiritual development of children.
As trained chaplains, we strongly caution against the government assertion of authority for the spiritual development and formation of our public school children. We would never provide spiritual care to someone without their consent. And when children are involved, parental consent is necessary.
Texas already requires parental consent for a child to take a sex education class. Texas is also seeing districts consider and pass policies requiring parental notification if a student identifies and trans or non-binary. How should Texas schools handle the presence of a chaplain of a different faith or denomination than some students?
Finally, the chaplains note that chaplaincy in public schools doesn’t make sense. In hospitals, the military and prisons, chaplains bring religious services to persons who cannot get to, “which is hardly the case for children in a public school.”
This letter from over 100 professional chaplains of many faith traditions leaves one with the impression that the law came from people who understand neither what chaplains are or what they do. It remains to be seen how many school board members take the chaplains’ advice.
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