Nebraska Wants to Overturn Ban on Religious Attire in Classrooms

By C Barnett --
21 Jan 2017 --

Groups in Nebraska are moving to repeal a ban on religious clothing in schools.

When Sister Madeleine Miller received certification to become a teacher, she was overjoyed at the prospect. Her joy, however, was short-lived when she was told if she wanted to teach, she would have to do so without her habit. Belonging to a religious order where nuns have to compulsorily wear their religious habit when in public, Sister Miller’s hopes sank. For her, this was as good as asking her to leave behind her identity in the convent.

Nebraska Wants to Overturn Ban on Religious Attire in Classrooms[/tweetthis]

The 37-year-old nun became the victim of a century-old law still followed in Nebraska. According to this law, which was backed by white supremacist groups like the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), teachers shouldn’t be allowed to wear their religious attire in school. The law was clearly aimed at Catholic nuns who wanted to teach. The KKK was then a sworn enemy of America’s Roman Catholics.

Miller came to know about the rule when she applied for a job in 2015 as a substitute teacher in a parochial school at Norfolk. When her application was turned down, she turned towards the local education authorities for help, she was told she had to teach without her religious garb. The nun says she was shocked such a thing was asked of her in today’s time.

Miller’s case drew attention from many quarters to this rule, which had been long forgotten. Speaker of the Legislature, Jim Scheer, noted that the law was in force in 34 other states, but has been dropped by them all. Only Nebraska and Pennsylvania are still holding on to this draconian rule. Scheer proposed a bill on Tuesday to do away with the law.

A number of groups, notably, the ACLU, Nebraska Catholic Conference, Thomas More Society, Nebraska State Education Association and Nebraska Family Alliance, submitted letters and proposals to the Education Committee expressing their support for Scheer’s bill.

Nebraska targets ban on religious garb worn by teachers https://t.co/FhXHLwewty
— Nate Walker (@revnate) January 19, 2017

For Miller, this is not simply a fight for religious expression, but a fight for the basic right of freedom to wear what a person wants. She insists her intention is not to use her religious identity to spread religious ideology at all. She says her religious attire is only a mark of her identity, and denying her the right to teach in her habit undermines a person’s right to teach in his/her professional capacity regardless of their religious beliefs.