As a social studies teacher at Park City High School teaching Advanced Placement (AP) and Concurrent Enrollment (CE) U.S. Government & Politics, my daily mission is to foster rigorous, inclusive civic engagement. My commitment to public education is rooted in a deep respect for our constitutional framework, a framework that ensures our classrooms remain spaces of objective learning, not religious overreach.

It is from this perspective, both as an educator and a citizen, that I feel compelled to address a deeply concerning shift in our state’s educational policy.

In March, a small group of my AP/CE US Government & Politics students came to class early and asked that we debate the constitutionality of Utah House Bill 312 during our preliminary class discussion. We start the class period by answering daily “essential questions.”

My students wanted to know, unequivocally, if the bill conflicted with the U.S. Constitution and Supreme Court precedent. We collectively, irrespective of political affiliation, determined that it did.

On a fundamental level, experts can obviously argue that the bill conflicts with the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, which plainly asserts that government, federal or state, “shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

The most recent iteration of HB312, which passed during the 2026 legislative session, mandates that students as early as third grade learn the philosophical and religious influences that shaped America. That includes examining biblical passages and “Protestant and Catholic thought, deism and natural law theory.”

If proponents of the bill are correct, and this is not an attempt to indoctrinate or advance a particular religion — in this case, Christianity — then why not include a more diverse theological study? Why not include the impact of Indigenous native religions? What about Benjamin Franklin’s assertion that the Iroquois Confederacy was an influence in the establishment of our federalist system? Why not share with students George Washington’s belief that Judaism was not only an influence in the drafting of our founding documents, but that it was inherently just as “American” as any form of Christianity? Why not include the early influences of Islam, as its Quran was closely studied by the Founders as they contemplated, and eventually enshrined, religious freedom in the First Amendment?

The answer to those questions is unfortunate. The construction of this bill is a thinly veiled attempt to advance Christianity in Utah public schools, and in doing so, also violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

HB312 is not denominationally neutral. It denies non-Christian students equal protection under the law. Using selective incorporation, the Supreme Court has applied the Establishment protections found in the First Amendment to the states using the Fourteenth Amendment in a myriad of cases.

In McCollum v. Board of Education (1948), the Court argued that both amendments protected students from segregated secular studies, and tax-supported classrooms were not the venue for comparative religion.

In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the Court struck down a non-denominational, and optional, school prayer, asserting that it was inherently unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court has also struck down religious favoritism in America’s public schools.

In Lee v. Weisman (1992), the Court established the “coercion test,” which prohibits public schools from overtly or covertly endorsing a particular religion. In the decision, Justice Anthony Kennedy asserted: “As we have observed before, there are heightened concerns with protecting freedom of conscience from subtle coercive pressure in the elementary and secondary public schools … The State may no more use social pressure to enforce orthodoxy than it may use more direct means.”

And, finally, in Larson v. Valente (1982), the Court declared that governments cannot, in a public school setting, prefer one religious denomination over another.

The evidence is clear. HB312 violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments and directly defies Supreme Court precedent.

Most importantly, it not only misappropriates tax revenue, but also alienates students who are not religious or who espouse another religion. It creates a community of non-Christian outsiders. The Legislature should not use the machinery of the state to integrate religious texts into our public schools, especially at the elementary level.

As a government teacher, as a parent and as a faithful Catholic, I am appalled and, quite frankly, worried about the message that this sends to our students and their families. Public education is the bedrock of our democracy, and its purpose is to create responsible, civically-engaged citizens who productively interact with their communities and their government.

HB312 is the antithesis of this principle. It further divides an already polarized Utah.

One can teach the founding documents comprehensively and effectively without endorsing Christianity. Just ask my students, they could teach our government a masterclass in truly inclusive governance.

Joanna Andres is a dedicated social studies teacher at Park City High School who specializes in teaching AP and Concurrent Enrollment U.S. Government and Politics. Renowned for fostering critical thinking and civic engagement through respectful classroom debate, she was selected by the Utah State Board of Education as the 2026 Utah Teacher of the Year.

The Salt Lake Tribune is committed to creating a space where Utahns can share ideas, perspectives and solutions that move our state forward. We rely on your insight to do this. Find out how to share your opinion here, and email us at voices@sltrib.com.