| |
| |
|
|
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
|
|
|
AN ACT
|
|
|
relating to a prohibition of school district retaliation against a |
|
|
teacher for permissible teaching about the Bible. |
|
|
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
|
|
SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 21, Education Code, is |
|
|
amended by adding Section 21.012 to read as follows: |
|
|
Sec. 21.012. RETALIATION BASED ON BIBLE INSTRUCTION |
|
|
PROHIBITED. (a) In this section, "employment action" means an |
|
|
action that affects an employee's compensation, promotion, |
|
|
demotion, transfer, work assignment, or performance evaluation. |
|
|
(b) A school district may not suspend or terminate the |
|
|
employment of a teacher or take other adverse employment action |
|
|
against the teacher based on the teacher's instruction to students |
|
|
about the Bible if the instruction is provided in accordance with |
|
|
the United States Constitution, federal law, the Texas |
|
|
Constitution, and state law. |
|
|
(c) A teacher whose employment is suspended or terminated or |
|
|
who is subjected to an adverse employment action in violation of |
|
|
this section is entitled to: |
|
|
(1) reinstatement to the teacher's former position or |
|
|
an equivalent position; |
|
|
(2) compensation for lost wages during the period of |
|
|
suspension, termination, or other adverse employment action; |
|
|
(3) reinstatement of fringe benefits and seniority |
|
|
rights lost because of the suspension, termination, or other |
|
|
adverse employment action; and |
|
|
(4) permanent removal of any retaliatory performance |
|
|
review from any personnel file maintained by the district regarding |
|
|
the teacher. |
|
|
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
|
|
a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
|
|
provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
|
|
Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
|
|
Act takes effect September 1, 2015. |