Expert Available on Debate Surrounding Prayer in School

School-prayer battles heat up as religious groups and parents launch public-awareness campaigns and lawsuits emerge on all sides.

Adam Laats is an assistant professor in Binghamton University's Graduate School of Education. He also has an appointment as assistant professor in the Department of History. Professor Laats studies the history of American education, particularly the history of cultural conflicts over curriculum and educational philosophy. Most of his work focusses on the role of conservative evangelical Protestants in education during the twentieth century. Now he is working in the history of twentieth-century conservative activism in education.

Laats has been closely following the debate surrounding prayer in school. He points out that the emergence of new rules about praying in public K-12 schools, authors being omitted from reading assignments, and careful new wording of evolution and history in textbooks make teaching confusing and learning increasingly difficult.