Lee v. Weisman
Title
Description
"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; though the Federal Constitution's First Amendment does not allow the government to stifle prayers which aspire to the advancement of the sense of community and purpose sought by all decent societies, neither does the First Amendment permit the government to undertake that task for itself."
In the public school system, principals were permitted to invite members of the clergy to offer invocation and benediction prayers as part of formal school graduation ceremonies. Respondent parent, whose daughter was scheduled to graduate from middle school, sought a temporary restraining order in the district court to prohibit school officials from including invocation or benediction in the graduation ceremony. The Court denied the motion for lack of adequate time for consideration. The parent then amended the complaint, seeking a permanent injunction barring the officials from inviting the clergy to deliver invocations and benedictions at future graduations, which the district court granted, and the court of appeals affirmed. The Court affirmed, holding that including clerical members who offered prayers as part of the official school graduation ceremony was inconsistent with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which the Fourteenth Amendment made applicable with full force to the states and their school districts. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment, holding that including clerical members who offered prayers as part of the official school graduation ceremony was inconsistent with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution, provisions the Fourteenth Amendment made applicable with full force to states and their school districts.
In the public school system, principals were permitted to invite members of the clergy to offer invocation and benediction prayers as part of formal school graduation ceremonies. Respondent parent, whose daughter was scheduled to graduate from middle school, sought a temporary restraining order in the district court to prohibit school officials from including invocation or benediction in the graduation ceremony. The Court denied the motion for lack of adequate time for consideration. The parent then amended the complaint, seeking a permanent injunction barring the officials from inviting the clergy to deliver invocations and benedictions at future graduations, which the district court granted, and the court of appeals affirmed. The Court affirmed, holding that including clerical members who offered prayers as part of the official school graduation ceremony was inconsistent with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which the Fourteenth Amendment made applicable with full force to the states and their school districts. The Supreme Court affirmed the judgment, holding that including clerical members who offered prayers as part of the official school graduation ceremony was inconsistent with the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the Constitution, provisions the Fourteenth Amendment made applicable with full force to states and their school districts.
Date
1992-06-24
Type
Court Case
Source
Lee v. Weisman, 6 (June 24, 1992) https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/505/577/case.html