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"Old Deluder Stan" Act
The first publicly supported schools in American were established due to religious motives. The act required the establishment and support of schools in towns of 50 or more families to teach children to read and write. -
The First Ammendment
Specified that "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereoff.... -
Gitlow v. New York
Ruled that the Fourteenth Amendment incorporates the guarantees of the First Amendment and safeguards them against state interference. -
West Virginia v. Barnette
Students may no be required to salute the flag. -
Eversin v. Board of Education
First major establishment clause decision, wherein the Court held that the government cannot aid any one religion or even all religions, but instead must be neutral toward religion -
Release Time
Historically students have often set aside time in school, during school hours, for religious instruction. This practice was decalred unconstitutional. -
Prayer/Bible reading
The Supreme Court declared that school-sponsered prayer and /or Bible reading violated the establishment clause. -
Epperson v. Arkansas
A state cannot restrict teaching in favor of a religious preference. -
Lemon v. Kurtzman
The Supreme Court announced a three part test to evaluate establishment clause claimes. The policy had three parts. -
Wisconsin v. Yoder
The court exempted Amish children from school attendance after successful completion of eigth grade. -
Alabama Law
The Supreme Court struck down an Alabama Law in 1985 that inserted the phrase "or voluntary prayer" into an existing statute that authorized a period of silent meditation. -
Kentucky Law
Supreme Court declared a Kentucky Law unconsitutional that required the posting of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. -
Lee v. Weisman
Clergy led invocations and benedictions were declared unconstitutional as a violation of the establishment clause. -
Altman vs. Bedford Central School Distrect
New York case that involved parents who asserted that parts of a reading program (Harry Potter) offended their Catholic faith. -
Nedow v. United States
A case that was dismissed on procedural grounds because the father who brought the suit did not have legal custody of the student.