The Supreme Court has established that officially sponsored prayer in public schools is unconstitutional, regardless of whether it is voluntary or not. This stems from the interpretation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from establishing an official religion or unduly favoring one religion over another.
Key rulings include:
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Engel v. Vitale (1962): The Court ruled that a New York State law encouraging a short, voluntary prayer for recitation at the start of each school day was unconstitutional as it constituted an endorsement of religion.
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Abington School District v. Schempp (1963): The Court ruled that school-sponsored Bible reading in public schools violated the Establishment Clause.
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Lee v. Weisman (1992): The Court further clarified that schools could not invite clergy to deliver invocations or benedictions at graduation ceremonies, seeing it as government endorsement of religion.
While private student-initiated prayer (such as a student silently praying on their own) remains permissible, the school cannot endorse or promote such practices. There are also allowances for voluntary, student-led prayer in certain non-official contexts, such as before a football game, but it must not be organized by school officials.
In summary, the Supreme Court’s stance is that while private student prayer is allowed, any form of official or school-sponsored prayer is unconstitutional.