Advocacy
DeSantis signs bills allowing 'patriotic organizations,' chaplain programs in Florida schools
"This is a terrible way for religion to insert itself wrongly in public schools," said Reverend Paul Brandeis Raushenbush, the president and CEO of Interfaith Alliance.
Interfaith Alliance is one of 38 groups, including more than 200 chaplains, that fear untrained chaplains will try to "counsel" students. "We care about student mental health and safety concerns. As trained chaplains, we are not qualified to address the needs of public school students that these proposals purport to address," they wrote to the governor.
"Imagine if you are an LGBTQ student, or are having a struggle with depression and someone is not trained to deal with that, they're just 'Joe Chaplain' who comes in there, that could do more harm than good," Raushenbush said.
Letter to Speaker Johnson: Make Clear that All People are Welcome in the Halls of Congress
Earlier this month, Giani Surinder Singh, the head granthi of the Gurdwara South Jersey Sikh Society, delivered a prayer on the floor of the House of Representatives. Congresswoman Mary Miller (R-IL) wrote in a since-deleted X post that it was "deeply troubling that a Sikh was allowed to lead prayer."
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Interfaith Alliance Joins Civil Rights Partners in Condemning Antisemitic Attacks
Interfaith Alliance is proud to join The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and a broad coalition of civil rights organizations in signing a joint statement responding to the recent rise in antisemitic violence.