Supreme Court Bans School Prayer: Church and State Separate
The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 in Abington School District v. Schempp on June 17, 1963, that mandatory Bible readings and recitation of the Lord's Prayer in public schools violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause. The case was brought by the Schempp family, Unitarians in Pennsylvania, and was consolidated with Murray v. Curlett, brought by atheist activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Justice Tom Clark wrote the majority opinion, emphasizing that the government must maintain a position of "wholesome neutrality" toward religion. The ruling did not ban voluntary individual prayer or the academic study of religion; it prohibited government-sponsored devotional exercises. The decision remains one of the most controversial in Supreme Court history, with periodic efforts to amend the Constitution to permit school prayer.
June 17, 1963
63 years ago
Key Figures & Places
United States Supreme Court
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Bible
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Abington School District v. Schempp
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Lord's Prayer
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public schools
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Supreme Court of the United States
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Abington School District v. Schempp
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Bible
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Lord's Prayer
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State school
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