Bill > SB1237

This bill, known as the "Teachers' Bill of Rights," establishes a set of rights for teachers, administrators, and support staff in Oklahoma's school districts, public charter schools, and public virtual charter schools. These rights include freedom of religion and speech, the ability to keep religious texts like the Holy Scriptures in classrooms for personal use or objective teaching in secular programs, wearing faith-based symbols, praying with students as permitted by existing law, and working in an environment that does not endorse or demean any particular religion. It also grants the right to be free from vulgar language and physical harm from students, parents, or other staff, and the right to control and discipline students, including removing disruptive students and refusing the return of students suspended for violent offenses, with immunity for good-faith actions. The bill further allows designated school personnel to carry firearms, ensures a safe working environment, protects medical privacy including the right to refuse vaccinations or masks as employment conditions unless otherwise specified by law, and allows individuals to refuse instruction or training that violates their conscience, ethics, or religion, provided state-mandated curriculum is still taught. Additionally, it guarantees adequate planning time, a minimum 20-minute lunch break, the right to information about student or parent complaints (unless part of a law enforcement investigation), protection when helping students analyze controversial topics objectively, and the right to privately petition for policy changes. To enforce these rights, school districts and governing bodies must create a due process plan that includes designated employees to receive reports, provisions for anonymous reporting, timely investigations, procedures for false accusations, reporting of potential criminal activity to law enforcement, and an appeals process to the school board or governing body. This bill will become effective on July 1, 2026, with an emergency clause allowing it to take effect immediately upon passage and approval.

Education

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=sb1237&Session=2600