Engel v. vitale
Year: 1962
Result: 6-1, favor Engel
Related Constitutional issue/Amendment: 1st Amendment (freedom of religion); Establishment Clause
Civil rights or Civil liberties: Civil liberties
Significance/precedent: Prayer encouraged in state funded schools was ruled unconstitutional. The reciting of a prayer at the beginning of a school day violates the separation of state and church that is described in the establishment clause of the 1st Amendment. By allowing the school, a public institution funded by the state, to say the prayer, New York was approving religion and infringing on the Civil liberties of non-religious students. Promoting prayer in public schools was prohibited.
Quote from majority opinion: "The petitioners contend among other things that the state laws requiring or permitting use of the Regents' prayer must be struck down as a violation of the Establishment Clause because that prayer was composed by governmental officials as a part of a governmental program to further religious beliefs. For this reason, petitioners argue, the State's use of the Regents' prayer in its public school system breaches the constitutional wall of separation between Church and State. We agree with that contention since we think that the constitutional prohibition against laws respecting an establishment of religion must at least mean that in this country it is no part of the business of government to compose official prayers for any group of the American people to recite as a part of a religious program carried on by government."
Summary of dissent: New York has in no way infringed upon the free exercise of religion by students; they are not requiring students to recite the prayer. There is not a connection between allowing students to pray at the beginning of the school day, and establishing an official religion. The ruling is a misuse of the Establishment Clause. Numerous examples of establishment defined by this court exist in the government: In God We Trust; one nation, under God; and the Supreme Court invocation "God save the United States and this Honorable Court."
6-word summary: Public school prayer violates Establishment Clause
Result: 6-1, favor Engel
Related Constitutional issue/Amendment: 1st Amendment (freedom of religion); Establishment Clause
Civil rights or Civil liberties: Civil liberties
Significance/precedent: Prayer encouraged in state funded schools was ruled unconstitutional. The reciting of a prayer at the beginning of a school day violates the separation of state and church that is described in the establishment clause of the 1st Amendment. By allowing the school, a public institution funded by the state, to say the prayer, New York was approving religion and infringing on the Civil liberties of non-religious students. Promoting prayer in public schools was prohibited.
Quote from majority opinion: "The petitioners contend among other things that the state laws requiring or permitting use of the Regents' prayer must be struck down as a violation of the Establishment Clause because that prayer was composed by governmental officials as a part of a governmental program to further religious beliefs. For this reason, petitioners argue, the State's use of the Regents' prayer in its public school system breaches the constitutional wall of separation between Church and State. We agree with that contention since we think that the constitutional prohibition against laws respecting an establishment of religion must at least mean that in this country it is no part of the business of government to compose official prayers for any group of the American people to recite as a part of a religious program carried on by government."
Summary of dissent: New York has in no way infringed upon the free exercise of religion by students; they are not requiring students to recite the prayer. There is not a connection between allowing students to pray at the beginning of the school day, and establishing an official religion. The ruling is a misuse of the Establishment Clause. Numerous examples of establishment defined by this court exist in the government: In God We Trust; one nation, under God; and the Supreme Court invocation "God save the United States and this Honorable Court."
6-word summary: Public school prayer violates Establishment Clause