Violation 1 - Prayer At School Events

Violation 1 - Prayer At School Events

School events, including graduations, may not include prayer. For more than 50 years, the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently struck down prayer in public schools, beginning in 1962. Engel.

Violation 6 - Graduations in Churches and School Baccalaureates

Violation 6 - Graduations in Churches and School Baccalaureates

School events, including graduations, should not be held in houses of worship. Public school programming, including graduations, testing and recitals, should not occur in churches, because any student could “reasonably conclude that the District would only choose such a proselytizing environment aimed at spreading religious faith . . . if the District approved of the Church’s message.” Elmbrook.

Violation 10 - Proselytizing Via Music

Violation 10 - Proselytizing Via Music

It is a principle of our public educational system that every activity in a public school ought to have an educational purpose. Elementary school music classes and high school choruses are a frequent source of school First Amendment violations. The line is crossed when that purpose becomes devotional, proselytizing or religiously coercive.

Religious Propaganda Films

Religious Propaganda Films

Public schools must take a hard stance against forcing students to watch harmful Christian propaganda and anti-evolution movies that have no educational merit.

Legal Decisions

Legal Decisions

Berger v. Rensselaer Cent. Sch. Corp., 982 F.2d 1160 (7th Cir. 1993), cert. denied, 113 S.Ct. 2344 (1993)