Washington: President Donald Trump has pledged new federal protections for students’ right to pray in public schools, announcing that the U.S. Department of Education will soon release guidelines aimed at reinforcing religious liberty on campuses nationwide.
Speaking before the Religious Liberty Commission, Trump declared that the guidance would ensure “the total protection” of prayer in educational institutions. “For much of America’s history, the Bible was a staple in classrooms. Today, however, in many schools, young people are being fed anti-religious propaganda, and some are even punished for living out their faith,” the president said, calling such incidents “ridiculous” and “deeply troubling.”
The president cited multiple cases in which students and staff were reprimanded for expressing their beliefs, reading Scripture, or joining in prayer. Among those, he highlighted the story of Hannah Allen, a Texas student who was initially barred from leading a prayer for an injured classmate. According to Trump, school authorities told her group that such prayers could only occur out of public sight. After intervention by the First Liberty Institute, the school eventually revised its rules, allowing open prayer so long as it did not interrupt academic activities.
“Hannah very strongly stood her ground and she won,” Trump said, praising her courage and reaffirming that the new guidelines are meant to empower students like her. “Hannah, thank you for letting your faith shine for all to see.”
The commission also heard testimony from other students who had faced restrictions on their religious expression. One elementary student said she was forced to remove a face mask that read “Jesus loves me.” Another recalled being told he could not reference God in his valedictory speech. A young girl shared how her school initially prohibited her from singing a Christian hymn at a talent show. In each case, the students ultimately prevailed after schools reversed their initial stance.
Trump argued that such examples reveal a growing climate of hostility toward faith in public education. By issuing federal guidelines, he said, the Department of Education aims to reaffirm long-standing constitutional protections, ensuring that religious expression in schools is neither censored nor punished.
“Students should never be made to feel ashamed of their faith or silenced when they choose to pray,” Trump told the commission. “This guidance is a message to every school in America: the right to religious freedom is not negotiable.”
The new guidelines are expected to provide schools with clearer direction on how to balance religious expression with academic responsibilities, potentially setting the stage for fresh debates on the role of faith in public life.