Charles C. Haynes is senior scholar and director of education programs at the First Amendment Center. He is best known for his work on First Amendment issues in schools and communities throughout the nation.

Over the past decade, he has been the principal organizer and drafter of a series of consensus guidelines on religious liberty in public education endorsed by a broad range of civil liberties and educational organizations. In January, 2000, three of these guides were sent by President Clinton to every public school in the United States. The Bush administration updated the guidelines in 2003. (See also A Parent's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools, A Teacher's Guide to Religion in the Public Schools and Public Schools & Religious Communities.)

Haynes is the author or co-author of six books, including The First Amendment in Schools and Finding Common Ground: A Guide to Religious Liberty in Public Schools. His column, Inside the First Amendment, appears in newspapers nationwide.

Widely quoted in news magazines and major newspapers, Haynes is also a frequent guest on television and radio. He has been profiled in The Wall Street Journal and on ABC’s "Evening News."

Haynes currently serves as president of the Character Education Partnership. He holds a master’s degree from Harvard Divinity School and a doctorate from Emory University.

Mailing address: Charles Haynes, Freedom Forum First Amendment Center, 1101 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22209.