Which case addressed the Establishment Clause in the context of government-funded school vouchers?

Which case addressed the Establishment Clause in the context of government-funded school vouchers?

• A. Abington School District v. Schempp
• B. Zelman v. Simmons-Harris
• C. Lemon v. Kurtzman
• D. San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez

Answer: (B)

The Establishment Clause limits government action that endorses or funds religion in public life, including how schools are funded. Zelman v. Simmons-Harris directly asked whether a state voucher program that parents could use to pay for private schools (including religious ones) violated that clause. The Court ruled that it did not, because the program was neutral toward religion and offered genuine private choice: funds went to families, not directly to religious schools, and the government did not coerce or endorse religious instruction. The structure respected parental decision-making and allowed religious options without signaling government preference for religion. This distinguishes it from Abington School District v. Schempp, which dealt with school-sponsored religious activities, Lemon v. Kurtzman, which created a general Establishment Clause test, and San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, which concerned equal protection and school funding rather than Establishment Clause concerns.

The Establishment Clause limits government action that endorses or funds religion in public life, including how schools are funded. Zelman v. Simmons-Harris directly asked whether a state voucher program that parents could use to pay for private schools (including religious ones) violated that clause. The Court ruled that it did not, because the program was neutral toward religion and offered genuine private choice: funds went to families, not directly to religious schools, and the government did not coerce or endorse religious instruction. The structure respected parental decision-making and allowed religious options without signaling government preference for religion. This distinguishes it from Abington School District v. Schempp, which dealt with school-sponsored religious activities, Lemon v. Kurtzman, which created a general Establishment Clause test, and San Antonio Independent School District v. Rodriguez, which concerned equal protection and school funding rather than Establishment Clause concerns.