The bright side of the 5th Circuit’s disturbing Ten Commandments decision

The Hill
By Rachel Laser

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FFRF op-ed published in Maryland newspaper with illustrious history

Freedom From Religion Foundation Regional Government Affairs Manager Mickey Dollens has had an op-ed published in one of Maryland’s most venerable newspapers.

“Theocratically inclined Maryland lawmakers are offering a false solution to a real problem.” Dollens begins his column in the Easton Star Democrat, founded in 1799.

The piece goes on to explain:

Like most states, Maryland faces a serious shortage of school mental-health professionals. The American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 250 students per counselor, yet Maryland’s average is closer to 327. The gap is even wider for school psychologists, with roughly 1,000 students per psychologist — nearly double the recommended maximum.

Rather than investing in licensed, trained mental-health professionals, House Bill 24 attempts to address the shortage by inserting unlicensed volunteer chaplain aides into public schools to provide “support services” to students.

The bill lacks even the most basic safeguards. It does not prohibit proselytizing, require parental consent or list any professional standards for chaplains working in schools. It tramples the religious liberty of students and disregards the very same parental rights that some of the bill’s supporters claim to value so much.

Don’t fall for the rhetoric claiming that public school chaplains won’t proselytize. Of course they will — and that is precisely the point of this bill. HB 24 does nothing to prevent a volunteer chaplain from using a school-sanctioned role to advance religious beliefs during the school day. Imagine a county superintendent who attends a Baptist church recruiting that church’s pastor to serve as a school chaplain — encouraging students to meet with him during the school day and allowing the pastor to proselytize during those meetings. Such a school would obviously be favoring religion over nonreligion, and favoring the county superintendent’s own specific denomination over all others. …

A major driving force behind this legislation is the National School Chaplain Association. Its parent organization has openly stated that it places Christian chaplains in public schools with the goal of converting non-Christian students — “reaching the largest unreached people group inside of the public schools around the world” to ensure that “the saving grace of Jesus becomes well known.” The same organization has said it intends to exploit the “massive lack of school counselors throughout public schools” to insert chaplains to “share God’s word” and “disciple” students.

“If lawmakers genuinely care about student well-being, the answer is not to blur the line between state and church,” the op-ed further states. “It is to invest in what actually works: hiring more licensed counselors and psychologists trained to support students of all backgrounds without pushing religious doctrine.”

You can read the full piece here.

This column is part of FFRF’s initiative to engage with pertinent national and state issues and spread the messages of secularism and freethought to a broader audience.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members nationwide, including close to 1,000 members in Maryland. FFRF’s purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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Creationism expelled from Colorado school after FFRF complaint

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has successfully halted the teaching of creationism in the science curriculum at a Colorado public charter school.

FFRF wrote to the CEO of James Irwin Charter Schools after a concerned parent reported that James Irwin Charter Middle School in Colorado Springs was planning to include “intelligent design” and “creationist theory” alongside evolution in its eighth-grade science curriculum.

According to an email sent to parents by the school’s science lead, the evolution unit proposed to “teach Intelligent Design and evolution” and “present a creationist theory and an evolutionist theory regarding natural selection, adaptation and evolution.”

The parent who contacted FFRF expressed concern about the school presenting religious doctrine as science.

“I feel like the public charter school is not trustworthy and I am now questioning the quality of my [child’s] education,” the parent communicated to the state/church watchdog. “I feel angry that religion is being forced on children and presented as science.”

FFRF Staff Attorney Samantha Lawrence wrote to the district explaining that teaching creationism or intelligent design in public school science classes violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.

“Promoting creationism, intelligent design or any of its offshoots in public schools is unlawful because creationism is based solely on religion, not scientific fact,” her letter stated. FFRF noted that the Supreme Court and federal courts have consistently rejected attempts to introduce religious doctrine into public school science classes, including the landmark ruling in Edwards v. Aguillard (1987) and the federal decision in Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District (2005), which struck down policies promoting creationism and intelligent design.

FFRF’s intervention had the desired result. Following its letter, the school system investigated the matter and scrapped the pseudoscience portion of the curriculum.

“Please know that this practice has ceased,” CEO Rob Daugherty wrote in a response to FFRF. “Intelligent design will not be taught in the middle school or in any other James Irwin Charter School as part of a science curriculum.”

The district confirmed that the instruction had occurred sporadically over a period of years but was not part of the official curriculum and had not been known to current administrators until the issue was raised. The school system said it has taken several corrective steps, including halting the instruction, verifying that intelligent design is not taught elsewhere, reviewing lesson plans and instructional materials, and providing additional guidance and training to staff regarding religion in the classroom. The district also plans to adopt formal board action to codify these measures in its curriculum policies.

FFRF is pleased that the district moved quickly to correct the constitutional violation.

“Creationism and intelligent design are religious beliefs, not science,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Public schools have a constitutional obligation to teach evidence-based science — not promote religious doctrine.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide, including more than 1,400 members and two chapters in Colorado. FFRF’s purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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Freethought Radio – March 12, 2026

We talk about the Iran war with Mother Jones national correspondent Kiera Butler, author of the article: “Trump’s Holy Warriors Finally Got the Apocalypse They’ve Prayed For.”

The post Freethought Radio – March 12, 2026 appeared first on Freedom From Religion Foundation.

FFRF proudly co-sponsors ‘No Kings III Day’ on Sat., March 28

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is once again proud to co-sponsor the next “No Kings” National Day of Action taking place on Saturday, March 28. 

No Kings III is expected to be the largest nonviolent protest in U.S. history. Please visit this site to find the closest event near you.

There are 2,200 No Kings Day events planned in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and a dozen other countries. The flagship gathering will take place in the Twin Cities, which are still reeling from the ICE raids and the deaths of two bystanders.

There is still time to sign up to host an event if there isn’t one near you or to volunteer as a marshall.

Nearly 7 million people attended No Kings last October and the goal is for an even larger turnout at thousands of peaceful rallies later this month. The “No Kings III” website features a map showing events near you, messaging and many resources, including a host toolkit, graphics and signs.

“As a group with ‘freedom’ in our very name, the Freedom From Religion Foundation knows that we cannot defend the First Amendment’s ‘first freedom’ in an authoritarian nation,” comments Annie Laurie Gaylor, FFRF co-president. “To defend our secular form of government and civil liberties, we must defend U.S. democracy itself, which is currently imperiled by corruption, chaos and Christian nationalism.”

FFRF encourages you to attend a March 28 event near you and to spread the word to friends, family and colleagues, as well as via social media by sharing No Kings III posts.

P.S. By the way, FFRF is offering a new T-shirt that’s perfect for No Kings Days (pictured above). FFRF also offers a variety of sun-protecting caps suitable for the occasion, such as one bearing the United States’ original motto of unity, “E Pluribus Unum (Out of Many, One).” To ensure delivery in time for March 28, we encourage you to order immediately and to request expedited shipping by phoning FFRF at 608-256-8900 during office hours (Monday through Friday, 9–5 CDT).

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters nationwide. FFRF’s purposes are to defend the constitutional principle of separation between church and state, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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Coalition champions religious freedom in Texas schools

Baptist Standard
By Faith Pratt

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March 14, 2026 – FFRF Co-President Dan Barker will Speak on “The Battle of Church and State” in Austin, TX

Join Dan Barker, Co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), as he speaks at a public meeting hosted by the Austin Chapter of FFRF on March 14, 2026, in Austin, Texas.

Barker will present a talk titled “The Battle of Church and State,” examining the ongoing constitutional and cultural debates surrounding the separation of religion and government in the United States. Drawing from his experience as a former evangelical minister turned atheist activist and his decades of work advocating for secular government, Barker will discuss why maintaining a clear boundary between church and state remains vital to protecting religious freedom for all.

As Co-President of FFRF, Barker works to uphold the constitutional principle of separation between religion and government through education, advocacy, and legal action. During the event, he will share insights from FFRF’s work challenging church-state violations across the country and will engage with attendees during a discussion period.

The event will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Little Walnut Creek Branch of the Austin Public Library, located at 835 W Rundberg Ln, Austin, TX 78758. The meeting is free and open to the public.

Attendees will have the opportunity to hear Barker’s perspective on current church-state issues and learn more about FFRF’s efforts to defend the First Amendment.

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Sarasota County School Board must end prayer policy | Letter

Sarasota Herald-Tribune (Sarasota, FL)
By Staff

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Diverse Coalition Champions Religious Freedom in Texas Public Schools

ACLU of Texas
By Staff

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AU part of diverse coalition championing religious freedom in Texas public schools

Americans United
By Staff

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