Gov. Bill Haslam says he has reservations about a legislative proposal that would limit teaching of “religious doctrine” to high school students. Columbia republican state rep. Sheila Butt says she will introduce a bill this January that would bar classroom discussion of religion until high school grades. This apparently in response to some critics who claim the tenants of Islam are being offered in elementary schools. Haslam says the bill could have unintended consequences. The republican governor says American history and religion are connected, and he doesn’t see how some exposure to religion can be avoided. The council on American—Islamic relations says the bill is fueled by false claims of students being subjected to “Islamic indoctrination” in middle school.
