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Year Created: 1962
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Description: This landmark Supreme Court case decided that that is unconstitutional for state officials to encourage prayer in public schools due to violation of the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment. The Court stated that the reading of a denominational prayer at the start of a school day violates the "establishment of religion" clause of the 1st Amendment and that the policy breached the separation between church and state.
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SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
370 U.S. 421
Engel v. Vitale
CERTIORARI TO THE COURT OF APPEALS OF NEW YORK
No. 468 Argued: April 3, 1962 --- Decided: June 25, 1962
Because of the prohibition of the First Amendment against the enactment of any law "respecting an establishment of religion," which is made applicable to the States by the Fourteenth Amendment, state officials may not compose an official state prayer and require that it be recited in the public schools of the State at the beginning of each school day -- even if the prayer is denominationally neutral and pupils who wish to do so may remain silent or be excused from the room while the prayer is being recited. Pp. 422-436.
Citation: “Steven I. Engel et al., Petitioners, V. William J. Vitale, Jr., et Al..” Legal Information Institute, Legal Information Institute, www.law.cornell.edu/supremecourt/text/370/421. Accessed 6 Feb. 2025.