Which case ruled that official school-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause?

Which case ruled that official school-sponsored prayer in public schools violates the Establishment Clause?

• A. Abington School District v. Schempp (1963)
• B. Engel v. Vitale (1962)
• C. Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
• D. Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah (1993)

Answer: (B)

Understanding the Establishment Clause means recognizing that the government may not endorse or promote religion in public institutions. The ruling that school-sponsored prayer is unconstitutional reflects this principle: when the state organizes and leads a prayer in public schools, it effectively endorses religion, which the Constitution forbids. In Engel v. Vitale, the Court struck down a New York policy that required a daily, non-denominational prayer to be recited in public classrooms, holding that the state’s involvement in organizing prayer violated the Establishment Clause even though participation was voluntary. The decision emphasizes that official participation in religious activity by public schools compromises religious neutrality in a government setting. For context, related cases address other aspects of religion in schools—Abington v. Schempp addressed Bible readings, Lemon v. Kurtzman created a test for Establishment Clause cases, and Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah concerns free exercise.

Understanding the Establishment Clause means recognizing that the government may not endorse or promote religion in public institutions. The ruling that school-sponsored prayer is unconstitutional reflects this principle: when the state organizes and leads a prayer in public schools, it effectively endorses religion, which the Constitution forbids. In Engel v. Vitale, the Court struck down a New York policy that required a daily, non-denominational prayer to be recited in public classrooms, holding that the state’s involvement in organizing prayer violated the Establishment Clause even though participation was voluntary. The decision emphasizes that official participation in religious activity by public schools compromises religious neutrality in a government setting. For context, related cases address other aspects of religion in schools—Abington v. Schempp addressed Bible readings, Lemon v. Kurtzman created a test for Establishment Clause cases, and Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah concerns free exercise.