Mississippi lawmakers have framed HB 1310—the so-called “Mississippi Open to Religion Act”—as a win for religious liberty, but the fine print tells a different story. Passed on February 11, the bill mandates daily, school-facilitated time for “voluntary” group prayer and scripture reading outside instructional hours, with opt-in and parental consent. In practice, this opens public schools to organized, litigious activist groups adept at leveraging accommodation into dominance. History shows that once schools are compelled to host religious activity, those with the most resources and legal pressure gain the upper hand—often reshaping policies, spaces, and expectations far beyond the bill’s stated intent.

That concern is not theoretical. Groups such as Council on American-Islamic Relations and campus affiliates like the Muslim Student Association have repeatedly used accommodation frameworks to secure dedicated prayer spaces, schedule changes, and policy concessions—sometimes backed by lawsuits and public pressure campaigns. What begins as “neutral access” can quickly become normalized preference, especially in environments where administrators fear litigation. The result is predictable: pressure on students, chilled dissent, and a curriculum culture increasingly shaped by the most organized actors rather than by parents and local communities.

SOURCE: RAIR