Last week the Oklahoma legislature passed and sent to Governor Kevin Stitt for his signature HB 1425 (full text) which requires every school district board to adopt a policy that allows students to attend a released-time course in religious or moral instruction for up to three class periods per week. The course is to be taught by an independent entity off of school property. The school district is to award students credit for the released-time course after the course is evaluated using secular criteria set out in the new law.
According to KRMG News, before the Governor announced whether or not he would sign the bill, The Satanic Temple issued a statement saying that if the bill becomes law, it will offer a released-time course through its Hellion Academy of Released Time Learning. The Satanic Temple said in part that it "believes that public schools should be free from religious influence, [but is] ... prepared to ensure our members’ children receive the same opportunities as those participating in other religion’s programs."
