Osceola County School Board delays vote on school chaplain program amid Satanic Temple controversy
KISSIMMEE, Fla. - The Osceola County School Board has postponed a decision on implementing a school chaplain program after concerns arose regarding the inclusion of religious groups, including The Satanic Temple, under the new law.
The law, which was enacted in July, allows religious leaders to counsel students in Florida schools.
The law has sparked debate within the Osceola County School Board, leading to a delay in the vote. Board members expressed the need to develop a more comprehensive plan for introducing chaplains into schools, citing the importance of community input and careful consideration of the policy’s language.
"There was not a vote to approve or disapprove. It was a vote to remove it and allow a chaplain committee – made up of community members – to review the policy and come back for an actual approval on the final form," said Julius Melendez, Osceola School Board member for District 2.
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The delay comes after The Satanic Temple, a tax-exempt religious organization, expressed interest in participating in the program. In a letter to the Osceola School Board, the group offered to introduce its Ministers of Satan to support students, raising further concerns among board members and the community.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the chaplain program into law in April and emphasized that the program is intended to provide spiritual counseling to students, though questions remain about its implementation. Critics, including Rev. Dr. Joe Paramore of the Florida Council of Churches, have pointed out the lack of specific guidelines for certifying chaplains within the public school system.
"In the world of chaplaincy, there is significant training that takes place for those that choose chaplaincy as a vocation," he said. "There's just simply no guardrails in the legislation that provides for board-certified chaplains to engage in the Ministry of Chaplaincy within the public school system."
"The issue is, what is the language of that policy? Is a chaplain going to be physically on campus, or do the parents have a right to make a decision to see a chaplain available to them?" Melendez added.
The Osceola County School Board has not yet announced when it will formally vote on the chaplain program. The board is continuing to seek input from the community and refine the policy further.