Which case held that a Pennsylvania law requiring Bible reading in schools violated the First Amendment?

Which case held that a Pennsylvania law requiring Bible reading in schools violated the First Amendment?

• A. Gideon v. Wainwright
• B. Griswold v. Connecticut
• C. School District of Abbington Township, Pennsylvania v. Schempp
• D. Engel v. Vitale

Answer: (C)

This question tests how the Establishment Clause limits government-religion entanglement in public schools. The Pennsylvania law that required Bible readings and the Lord’s Prayer in public classrooms was found unconstitutional because it compelled students to participate in religious exercises and effectively endorsed religion by the state. The ruling, School District of Abington Township v. Schempp, held that such mandatory readings violate the First Amendment. This decision followed the earlier Engel v. Vitale ruling, which struck down state-sponsored prayer in public schools, showing a consistent pattern against government-imposed religious activities in schools. The other listed cases address different rights—Gideon v. Wainwright concerns right to counsel, and Griswold v. Connecticut concerns privacy and contraception—so they don’t apply to the issue of compelled religious practice in public schools.

This question tests how the Establishment Clause limits government-religion entanglement in public schools. The Pennsylvania law that required Bible readings and the Lord’s Prayer in public classrooms was found unconstitutional because it compelled students to participate in religious exercises and effectively endorsed religion by the state. The ruling, School District of Abington Township v. Schempp, held that such mandatory readings violate the First Amendment. This decision followed the earlier Engel v. Vitale ruling, which struck down state-sponsored prayer in public schools, showing a consistent pattern against government-imposed religious activities in schools. The other listed cases address different rights—Gideon v. Wainwright concerns right to counsel, and Griswold v. Connecticut concerns privacy and contraception—so they don’t apply to the issue of compelled religious practice in public schools.