Religious Freedom, , ,

A student in northwest Arkansas recently faced pressure at school to use “they/them” pronouns for classmates who claimed not to be male or female. When she declined, she was pressured to do so by other students.  She was concerned that the school administration might punish her for refusing to comply.  

Stephanie Nichols, director of our Arkansas Justice Institute, was able to help. Stephanie explained that three laws safeguard the student’s right to stand firm in her faith and refuse to use pronouns that recognize any gender that is different from the person’s sex at birth.  These laws are:  

  • The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution 
  • The Arkansas Religious Freedom Restoration Act 
  • The Arkansas Given Name Act (Act 542 of 2023)

The Given Name Act, sponsored by Rep. Wayne Long and Sen. Mark Johnson, directly addresses this issue. It states: “A student shall not be subject to any disciplinary action for declining to address a person using a name other than the name listed on the person’s birth certificate; or pronoun or title that is inconsistent with the person’s biological sex.”

Thanks to these laws, this student was on solid legal ground. This case is a clear example of why the Religious Freedom Restoration Act and the Arkansas Given Name Act—laws that Family Council worked hard to pass—are producing such good results today. And now, through the Arkansas Justice Institute, our attorney Stephanie Nichols is able to show families exactly how to use these protections to defend their rights and freedoms. 

Thankfully, through the good work of the Arkansas legislature and the generous gifts of our supporters, students in Arkansas are on solid footing with regard to their free speech rights and freedom of religion rights in our public schools.

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