The Establishment Clause The First Amendment says that the government may not “establish” religion. What does that mean in a public school?
The meaning of the Establishment Clause, often referred to as the “separation of church and state,” has been much debated throughout our history. Does it require, as described in Thomas Jefferson’s famous 1801 letter to the Danbury Baptists, a high “wall of separation”? Or may government support religion as long as no one religion is favored over others? How can school officials determine when they are violating the Establishment Clause? In the last several decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has crafted several tests to determine when state action becomes an “establishment” of religion. No one test is currently favored by a majority of the Court. No matter which test is used, the Court has been stricter about applying the Establishment Clause in public schools than in other government settings. For example, the Court has upheld legislative prayer, but struck down teacher-led prayer in public schools. The Court applies the Establishment Clause more rigorously in public schools, mostly for
Related Questions
- If school officials are supposed to be eutral toward religion under the establishment clause, does that mean they should keep religion out of public schools?
- The Establishment Clause The First Amendment says that the government may not "establish" religion. What does that mean in a public school?
- The First Amendment says that the government may not ‘establish’ religion. What does that mean in a public school?
