Wallace v. Jaffree, 472 U.S. 38; 105 S. Ct. 2479; 86 L. Ed. 2d 29 (1985) Facts—Ismael Jaffree filed a complaint on behalf of his minor children against the Mobile County School Board, various school officials, and several teachers. He…
Marsh v. Chambers, 463 U.S. 783; 103 S. Ct. 3330; 77 L. Ed. 2d 1019 (1983) Facts—Chambers, a taxpayer and Nebraska legislator, called into question the long-standing practice of the state legislature to pay a chaplain to begin each session…
Widmar v. Vincent, 454 U.S. 263; 102 S. Ct. 269; 70 L. Ed. 2d 440 (1981) Facts—The University of Missouri at Kansas City, a state university, generally opened its facilities for the activities of registered student groups. Although a registered…
Stone v. Graham, 449 U.S. 39; 101 S. Ct. 690; 66 L. Ed. 2d 199 (1980) Facts—A Kentucky statute required that a copy of the Ten Commandments be posted on the wall of each public school classroom in the state.…
Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205; 92 S. Ct. 1526; 32 L. Ed. 2d 15 (1972) Facts—Suit was brought by Wisconsin against members of the Amish church to force them to abide by the state’s compulsory school attendance law, which…
Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602; 91 S. Ct. 2105; 29 L. Ed. 2d 745 (1971) Facts—Rhode Island and Pennsylvania established programs designed to provide state aid to parochial elementary and secondary schools. Pennsylvania reimbursed schools for the cost of…
Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203; 83 S. Ct. 1560;10 L. Ed. 2d 844 (1963) Facts—Pennsylvania by statute required that at least ten verses from the Bible should be read, without comment, at the opening of each public…
Engel et al. v. Vitale et al., 370 U.S. 421; 82 S. Ct. 1261; 8 L. Ed. 2d 601 (1962) Facts—The New York State Board of Regents had recommended, and the local school board had directed the school district’s principal,…
Zorach v. Clauson, 343 U.S. 306; 72 S. Ct. 679; 96 L. Ed. 954 (1952) Facts—New York City arranged a program permitting its public schools to release students during the school day so that they might go to religious centers…
Illinois ex rel. McCollum v. Board of Education, Champaign County, Illinois, 333 U.S. 203; 68 S. Ct. 461; 92 L. Ed. 648 (1948) Facts—Public schools in Champaign County, Illinois, allowed religious teachers to provide weekly in-house religious instruction. School authorities…