Significance: In this case the Supreme Court reinforced its strongly held position for separation of church and state when it addressed the issue of government-sponsored prayers in public schools.
Background: Ten public school students, joined by the American Civil Liberties Union, sued their school board for establishing a state-authored prayer calling for God’s blessings on their parents, teachers, and country. The students argued that the prayer—indeed, any state support for religion—violated the establishment clause of the Constitution. Several ethical and religious groups joined the fight on both sides, with groups that supported the school district claiming that the prayer was not funded by state money and promoted free exercise of religion without forcing the adoption of any one religious viewpoint.
Decision: This case was argued on April 3, 1962, and decided on June 25, 1962, by a vote of 7 to 1. Justice Hugo Black spoke for the Court, with Justice William Douglas concurring. The Court ruled in favor of the students, saying that any use of public schools to encourage or sponsor religion or prayer was a direct violation of the establishment clause. Justice Potter Stewart dissented, declaring that the establishment clause merely prohibited government sponsorship of an official church. Justice Byron White did not participate.
Excerpt from the Opinion of the Court: “The First Amendment was added to the Constitution to stand as a guarantee that neither the power nor the prestige of the Federal Government would be used to control, support or influence the kinds of prayers the American people can say. . . . Under that Amendment’s prohibition against governmental establishment of religion, as reinforced by the provisions [requirements] of the Fourteenth Amendment, government in this country, be it state or federal, is without power to prescribe by law any particular form of prayer which is to be used as an official prayer in carrying on any program of governmentally sponsored religious activity.”
