Chaplains in public schools? Florida bill would give options for religious counselors

A Florida bill that would allow chaplains to provide counseling services to public school students is gaining traction — and opposition — in the Legislature.

The bill (SB 1044) would give schools districts and charter schools an option to use volunteer chaplains to provide counseling and other services to students. Supporters say chaplains would help address a shortage of mental health counselors in many schools and that parents would have to approve counseling. But opponents argue it’s a slippery slope that opens the doors of public schools to religious influence, and could put some students in an uncomfortable situation depending on their religious beliefs.

If adopted, the bill, which was approved this week by the Senate Committee on Education Pre-K – 12, would allow a chaplain of any religious background to participate in the volunteer program. The current proposal sets no training or academic standards except that a volunteer would have to already be designated a chaplain by some outside entity. The only other requirement for volunteers would be to pass a criminal background check.

“This can be viewed as an alternative to school counselors for some families,” said Sen. Erin Grall, R-Fort Pierce, the bill’s sponsor, who argued some children might benefit from different types of counseling. “There’s a wide range of challenges that people may have from a mental health perspective.”

Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boynton Beach, raised questions about the credentials of volunteers in a committee hearing earlier this week. “Is there any kind of professional licensing requirement for who can be a chaplain?” Berman asked.

“There is not,” said Grall, who said it would be unconstitutional for the government to license a member of the clergy. “There’s many different ways in which chaplains are trained ... It would really be self-identification in a community or potentially a parent recognizing that a minister or pastor someone else that is a leader in their faith community could provide those services.”

Sen. Rosalind Osgood, D-Tamarac, the first female chaplain for the Fort Lauderdale police department, took issue with the volunteer status among other things in the bill.

“If you have paid staff people, you set criteria, descriptions, expectations and you can hold them accountable,” Osgood said. “You can be very specific in how they function and what they do.”

She also brought up the possibility of volunteers who might abuse the position or try to indoctrinate students with Christian nationalist views.

“This would give predators access to students under the pretense of chaplaincy,” she said. “Putting something like this in statute, I just think it could have some major unintended consequences.”

Osgood, a former Broward County School Board member, said she agreed students could use more support. A staff analysis of the bill says that, on average, there is only one counselor for every 425 students. But she said she also envisioned the process of adopting a chaplain program becoming another politically divisive issue in many communities.

“It puts school districts in a position that takes their attention away from education,” said Osgood. “You have a divide and now the school board is focused on chaplaincy instead of education.”

Senator warns of ‘dystopian hellhole’

Sen. Danny Burgess, a West Central Florida Republican, argued children aren’t getting enough spiritual guidance.

“You cannot deny the dystopian hellhole that society seems to be quickly forcing itself into by just removing God from everything that we possibly can imagine,” he said. “I’m speaking as someone’s who’s deeply concerned about where we’re going in this world. Our kids need help. We are in trouble.”

The bill, according to a staff analysis, would define chaplains as “clergyman officially attached to a branch of the military, to an institution, or to a family or court” and define a school chaplain as someone who could provide counsel and spiritual care for school staff, students, and families. While supporters say the bill puts no parameters on the religious denomination of a chaplain, a footnote in the bill analysis references a Texas-based Christian chaplain ministry when defining school chaplains.

Burgess also pointed out that seeking counseling from a chaplain programs would be optional for students, requiring written permission from a parents before they participate. Parents would then be able to select a chaplain from a list provided by the school district that would include the chaplain’s religious affiliation.

Sen. Shevrin D. “Shev” Jones, D-Miami Gardens, expressed his concerns stemming from his experiences as a former teacher.

“I have great concern with us creating an environment where some students feel supported by their faith and others don’t,” he said.

Jones said he felt the bill was a “slippery slope” and that lawmakers should instead focus on bringing in more mental health professionals into schools.

“I know for a fact that this bill is coming with good intentions, while I also agree that our young people are going through some tumultuous times ... but I would never place my beliefs on someone else,” he said.

The bill continues a push by some Republican politicians to soften long-time policies sharply limiting religious activities or teaching in public schools.

In March, the Miami-Dade School Board adopted a measure to commemorate the National Day of Prayer in the district’s public schools — a move that was followed by the Broward School Board two months later. Texas also adopted a school chaplain bill last year that is similar to the one Florida lawmakers are pondering.

On the campaign trail, Gov. Ron DeSantis has openly discussed his concern about the “spiritual decline” in America and how difficult it is for him as Governor with a strong faith practice. “Some people ask me, how do you become a good leader? Well, one of the first things you need to do is put on the full armor of God.”

The religious rhetoric has been used in many of his speeches to Evangelical crowds, alluding to a spiritual fight against the more-secular left.

READ MORE: Miami-Dade School Board adopts prayer proclamation, displays state motto over dais

Education and religious organizations were divided on the proposal.

“We are uncomfortable with the ambiguous nature of providing supports, services and programs. We think school districts may be headed for potential constitutional difficulty,” said Nancy Lawther of the Florida Parent Teachers Association.

The long-time education advocate told lawmakers that most schools would be happy to take on a professional chaplain to operate an after school faith-based club or activity but that having them counsel during school hours would be problematic.

“A volunteer chaplain with a particular faith pushes the envelope on a relationship, during school instructional hours, between school and state,” she said.

Ryan Kennedy of Florida Citizens Alliance, a conservative education non-profit based in Naples, said the bill would add another layer of choice within the school district and that no one was forcing parents to participate.

“If the federal government allows chaplain services in the military, shouldn’t we allow children to have access to these services here in Florida?” Kennedy said.

Rev. James T. Golden from Pastors for Florida Children, a statewide group of clergy members that advocate for public school policies, argued that it’s inadequate to compare a military or hospital chaplain — where people may face life or death situations — with school chaplains.

“I am so hopeful that we remember that there is not only a duty to separate and protect the church from the state, but there’s a duty to separate and protect the state from the church,” he said. “Put the brakes on this very idea.”

The proposed legislation is advancing in both the House and Senate. If the bill passes both bodies, a combined measure would need final approval from the Legislature and the governor.

This story was produced with financial support from Trish and Dan Bell and from donors comprising the South Florida Jewish and Muslim Communities, in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald maintains full editorial control of this work.