By Rupert Howell

A Student Religious Liberties policy that formalizes students’ voluntary  religious expression opportunities while speaking at school events, in the classroom and organizing religious groups and activities was read during Tuesday’s September meeting of the South Panola District.

Following this month’s “first reading,” trustee board members are expected to adopt the policy at next month’s meeting scheduled for October 15.

The proposed policy begins, “ . . . school district shall treat a student’s voluntary expression of religious viewpoint,  . . . in the same manner the district treats a student’s voluntary expression of a secular or other viewpoint . . .and may not discriminate against the student based on a religious viewpoint expressed by the student on an otherwise permissible subject.”

The policy creates a limited public forum for student speakers setting times and allowing students in the highest two grade levels of the particular school and in positions of honor based on neutral criteria to speak during most events.

The policy leaves criteria open to different schools to select eligible students, and where more are eligible than needed, names are to be drawn from a hat.

“Certain students who have attained special positions of honor in the school have traditionally addressed school audiences from time to time . . . and nothing in the policy eliminates the continuation of the practice,” the proposed policy states.

Students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork and other assignments free from discrimination and may not be penalized or rewarded due to religious content according to the draft document.

Students may also organize prayer groups and religious clubs before, during and after school to the same extent students are permitted to organize other non-curricular student activities and groups and must be given the same access to school facilities given other groups.

School administrators may disclaim sponsorship of non-curricular groups and events only in a manner that does not favor or disfavor groups meeting to engage in prayer or other religious speech.