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The Beginning of Schools
Public schools were established in America in Massachusetts due to religious motives. The Bible was used as the textbok and taught how to avoid Satan along with reading and writing. -
The First Amendment
The First Amendment was enacted in 1791. The Amendment stated that "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..". -
West Virginia vs Barnette
The West Virginia Board of Education required that saluting the flag be part of all public schools. The supreme court ruled this unconstitutional and said that the pledge could be recited but students could not be required to recite the pledge or stand when it was recited by others. -
Everson vs. Board of Education
A lawsuit from the State of New Jersey where parents were given reimnursements for sending their kids to public or Catholic schools on public transportation. This was not declared unconstitutional by the Supreme court because the reimbursements were offered to parents sending their children to any school no matter the religion. -
McCollum vs Board of Education
In Illinois students were offered voluntary religious classes in a public school. Students who did not participate were required to go to another section of the school to attend other secular activities. The Supreme court ruled that this was unconstitutional. -
Zorach v Clausen
This case allows students to use "release time" for religious puproses if they choose. -
Engel vs Vitale
New York authorized a short voluntary reciting of a daily prayer in the public schools. The Court ruled this unconstitutional even though it was voluntary because it said the prayer was New York saying it offically approved of religion. -
Reading the Bible
The Supreme Court decided that the reading of daily Bible verses in school and recitation of the Lord's Prayer each morning/day and all laws requiring them were unconstitutional. -
Epperson vs Arkansas
The state of Arkansas had a statute that would not allow the teaching of evolution. The Court ruled that evolution was a science theory and a state could not restrict teaching in favor of a religous preference. Creationism and intelligent design are taught for this purpose. -
Lemon vs. Kurtman
This case resulted in a 3 part test to evaluate the establishment clause:
The government action or policy must 1) have a secular purpose 2) have a primary effect that neither advances nor impedes religion and 3) avoid excessive entanglement of government with religion. -
Wisconsin v Yoder
In a unamimous decision, the Court held that individual's interests in the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment outweighed the State's interests in compelling school attendance beyond the eighth grade. This case was a victory for the small Amish community . -
Stone vs Graham
A Kentucky state law required the posting of the Ten Commandments in all public school classrooms. The Supreme court ruled that it did not pass the Lemon test because it was purely religious in nature and had no secular legislative purpose. -
Wallace vs Jaffree
An Alabama law allowed teachers to set aside one minute each day for silent prayer or meditation. The supreme court ruled against the law because of the words "voluntary prayer" because they believed it was an intent to encourage the children to pray. -
Lee vs Weisman
The case of Lee vs Weisman established that schools could not invite members of the clergy to deliver invocations and benedictions at graduation ceremonies. Several school districts allow the students to be in charge of such ceremonies as a way of getting around the law. -
Altman vs Bedford Central School District
A requirement that students contruct images of a Hindu deity violated the First Amendment, and the making of worry dolls was prohibited because it indicated a preference for superstition over religion in violation of the establishment clause. It indicated a preference for superstition over religion.