Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Chapter 2
Chapter 2
Chapter Notes
Fourteenth Amendment—focuses on the rights and privileges of citizens of the United States.
First Amendment—serves as the basis for delineating certain individual religious rights.
Establishment Clause—prohibits state from passing laws that aid a religion or show preference of one
Free exercise clause—prohibits state from interfering with individual religious freedoms.
School-Sponsored Prayer
1. Develop legally defensible guidelines that are supported by the U.S. Supreme Court decision addressing
student-initiated prayer at athletic contests and other school events.
2. Do not rely on customs and community expectations when encouraging student-initiated prayer at school
events.
3. Student-initiated prayer is probably permissible at school events when not endorsed by school officials.
4. School officials should respond if alerted that school personnel are encouraging students to offer voluntary
prayer at school-sponsored events.
5. Voluntary student-led prayer will likely pass court scrutiny when it is initiated by students without school
personnel.
6. Prayer at school board meetings violates Establishment Clause, creates excessive entanglement, and cannot
be justified.
Aid to Parochial Schools
1. School districts must allow religious groups access to their facilities if other nonreligious groups are
permitted.
2. School officials are not expected to allow religious groups to use facilities for regular religious services.
3. School districts are not required to accommodate religious groups under a closed forum policy.
4. School officials must remain viewpoint neutral in use of facilities.