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Supreme Court strikes down religious instruction in public schools
The U.S. Supreme Court struck down religious instruction in public schools in their McCollum v. Board of Education decision. -
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Engel v Vitale
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The supreme Court lets stand a lower court ruling
The Supreme Court let stand a lower court ruling, Tudor v. Board of Education against the distribution of Bibles by outside groups like the Gideons. -
Supreme Court disallows a government prayer
The Supreme Court, in Engel v. Vitale disallowed a government-composed, nondenominational "Regents" prayer which was recited by students -
A number of major decisions were made
In a number of major decisions (Murray v. Curlett; Abington Township School district v. Schempp) mandatory Bible verse recitation was ruled unconstitutional. -
Federal Equal Access Act passed
The Federal Equal Access Act was passed, affecting all public secondary schools that received federal funds.
It required that religious clubs be permitted in public schools if other clubs which were also not related to the curriculum were already allowed. These religious groups had to be run by the students themselves, and could not be convened during class time. Membership in the group had to be voluntary. -
Bill Clinton talks to James Madison High School
School talk: President Bill Clinton gave a talk to James Madison High School in Vienna, VA. He said in part:nothing in the 1st Amendment converts our public schools to religion-free zones or requires all religious expression to be left at the schoolhouse door. -
FDE issues a memo to public schools
Responding to a directive from the President, the federal Department of Education issued a memo to public school superintendents which discussed religious freedoms in schools. -
Judy Poag Purposes a bill in Georgia Legislature
Judy Poag (D) proposed bill in the Georgia legislature requiring public school districts to display the Ten Commandments. Those who refused to do so would be penalized financially and perhaps even have their state funding cut off.
Another bill would permit "student-initiated spoken prayer during the school day."
Teachers would be prohibited from "Participating in or actively supervising such prayer." Under this bill, a student could evidently just interrupt class with a pra -
Lardnet Middle school suspends a science teacher
Ring Lardner Middle School in Michigan suspended science teacher Cheril Malinowski for three days after she loaned a Wiccan book to one of her students. The student was doing a report on herbal healing.
Loaning any religious book to a student was a violation of the principle of separation of church and state, because the loan implied school support for a specific religion.
The student involved loaned the book to second student. The parents of the latter student, the Wozniaks, had stolen the b -
Joint resoloution assembley was passed
A Joint Resolution of the Kentucky General Assembly was passed, requiring public schools in the state to include lessons on Christian influences on America and calling for the display of the Ten Commandments in schools and on State Capitol grounds.