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| FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
| State Rep. Eugene DePasquale |
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DePasquale, Tallman aim to end religious discrimination for teachers
HARRISBURG, May 24 – State Reps. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, and Will Tallman, R-Adams, held a news conference today to announce legislation they coauthored that would repeal the "garb statutes" of the Public School Code.
"This antiquated law, which was implanted during a time of anti-Catholic sentiment in our country – affects public school teachers of all faiths," DePasquale said. "Worse yet – it prevents people who do wear religious garb as part of their faith from becoming teachers in public schools."
House Bill 1581 would repeal Section 1112 of the Public School Code, which prohibits Pennsylvania schoolteachers from wearing any garb, mark, emblem or insignia that would indicate he or she was a member of or adherent to any religious order or sect while in the performance of their duties as a teacher. Violators of this ban are required to be suspended from teaching for one year; multiple offenses are punished with permanent disqualification. Further, a public school director can be held criminally liable for failing to enforce this prohibition.
"This is about restoring religious neutrality to our public school system and upgrading an old and discriminatory law," Tallman said. "We want every teacher to be free to exercise his or her religion, regardless of that faith."
Pennsylvania is one of only two states, along with Nebraska, to retain such legislation.
"While we oppose religious proselytizing by public school teachers in the classroom, we support the right of teachers to follow religious conscience and the practices of their religious tradition in their dress," said Rev. Sandra L. Strauss, Director of Public Advocacy at Pennsylvania Council of Churches. "We thank Representatives DePasquale and Tallman for addressing this outdated legislation."
"The Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition is encouraged by the leadership of Representative DePasquale and Representative Tallman to put forth legislation enabling religious garments to be worn by employees in public schools," said Hank Butler, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Jewish Coalition. "This archaic law prohibiting religious freedom has run its course in all but two states in our nation. It is time for Pennsylvania to join the rest of the country and repeal this law and enable religious freedom of expression be allowed in our schools."
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