The American state of Oregon may ban Jewish teachers as well as Muslim and Sikh educators from wearing religious garb under the pretense of providing "religious freedom" for students. The Oregon Workplace Religious Freedom Act, which was just signed by Governor Ted Kulongoski, was intended to enable workers to don religious attire such as yarmulkes, turbans, and hijabs while on the job, as well as take time off for their holy days. However, the bill also states that "no teacher in any public school shall wear any religious dress while engaged in the performance of duties as a teacher. A school district, education service district or public charter school does not commit an unlawful employment practice … by reason of prohibiting a teacher from wearing religious dress while engaged in the performance of duties as a teacher." Rights organizations are protesting the decision, saying it encroaches on personal religious freedoms and leaves the door open to exploitation of the law as a means of suppressing religious people. Pro-Muslim organization Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) cited US President Barack Hussein Obama's June address to the Muslim world from Egypt, in which Obama stated "freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That is why there is a mosque in every state of our union, and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. That is why the U.S. government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear the hijab, and to punish those who would deny it." Representative of the Oregon Department of Education, Jake Weigler, said that teachers could not be compared to other workers, as they impart values and instruction to children. He said the state legislature was concerned that associating teachers with their personal religious symbols might cross the line on the US Constitutional law separating religious institutions and the government. Pennsylvania is the only other state forbidding religious headgear. In other states, local school districts are permitted to decide what teachers dress codes will entail. Oregon's original law regarding religious attire was passed nearly 100 years ago and was meant to keep Catholic nuns out of schools following a Catholic school ban.
