-
Terminiello v. City of Chicago
Was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that a "breach of peace" ordinance of the City of Chicago that banned speech which "stirs the public to anger, invites dispute, brings about a condition of unrest, or creates a disturbance" was unconstitutional under the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. -
Sherbert v. Verner
Was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment required the government to demonstrate both a compelling interest and that the law in question was narrowly tailored before it denied unemployment compensation to someone who was fired because her job requirements substantially conflicted with her religion. -
United States v. O'Brien
It was a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States, which ruled that a criminal prohibition against burning a draft card did not violate the First Amendment's guarantee of free speech. Though the Court recognized that O'Brien's conduct was expressive as a protest against the Vietnam War, it considered the law justified by a significant government interest unrelated to the suppression of speech and was tailored towards that end. -
McDaniel v. Paty
Was a United States Supreme Court case that struck down the last remaining state restriction against religious ministers holding elected office.McDaniel was a Baptist minister he filed as a candidate to be a delegate to the 1977 Tennessee State Constitutional Convention. His opponent successfully challenged his candidacy based on a state law that forbade ordained ministers from elected office.The court ruled that the state law violated both the First and Fourteenth amendments. -
Stone v. Graham
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that a Kentucky statute was unconstitutional and in violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, because it lacked a nonreligious, legislative purpose.The statute required the posting of a copy of the Ten Commandments on the wall of each public classroom in the state.The Court ruled that because they were being placed in public classrooms they were in violation of the First Amendment. -
Mueller v. Allen
Was a United States Supreme Court case examining the constitutionality of a state tax deduction granted to taxpaying parents for school-related expenses, including expenses incurred from private secular and religious schools.The majority affirmed that the benefit was religiously neutral because the deduction applied equally to sectarian and nonsectarian tuition and that the choice of religious or nonreligious instruction was made by individual parents, not the state. -
Lee v. Weisman
Was a United States Supreme Court decision regarding school prayer. It ruled that schools may not sponsor clerics to conduct even non-denominational prayer. The 5–4 decision was announced on June 24, 1992. It was somewhat surprising as a victory for the Weismans and a defeat for the school district. -
Morse v. Frederick
that the First Amendment does not prevent educators from suppressing, at or across the street from a school-supervised event, student speech that is reasonably viewed as promoting illegal drug use. Deborah Morse suspended Joseph Frederick after he displayed a banner reading "BONG HiTS 4 JESUS" across the street from the school. Frederick sued, but on appeal, the Ninth Circuit reversed, concluding that Frederick's speech rights were violated. -
Harris v. Quinn
The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation argued a claim against the Illinois's Public Labor Relations Act, on the ground that it violated the First Amendment. It allowed labor unions to collect fees for the union from non-union members since they would still receive the services of improved pay and conditions made through collective bargaining. -
Town of Greece V. Galloway
case in which the court decided that the Town of Greece, New York may permit volunteer chaplains to open each legislative session with a prayer. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the Town of Greece, and that the town's practice of beginning legislative sessions with prayers does not violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
