The ban on prayer in the school systems and sports events have been at the center of debate for decades now and has dramatically changed how learning institutions approach faith and religion. In 1962, the Supreme court ruled by majority that school-sponsored prayer is a contravention of the First Amendment (Gudorf. 2017), and declared such prayers as forbidden.
The 1962 Supreme Court ruling resulted from protracted legal battles pitting two groups with divergent views on what freedom of religion means. On one side were those who believed that freedom of religion meant being allowed to exercise their faiths anywhere at any time. On the other hand, were those who were of the opinion that freedom of religion meant the liberty to practice faith but not in public spaces where theey are likely to influence others into adopting what they are doing. The battle dates back to 1958 when a New York resident named Steven Engel, together with other parents, filed a lawsuit against the state over a prayer that students recited in public schools (Gurdof, 2017). They were referring to a prayer that the Board of Regents had approved for use in publications schools, which acknowledged dependence on God besides asking for blessings on all (Gurdof, 2017). The complainants took issue with the state’s approval of the invocation, arguing it amounted to the state’s involvement in promoting religion (Gurdof, 2017). The petition was defeated as the judge stated that the children could choose whether to recite the prayer. Unsatisfied with the ruling, the parents moved to appeal the case in the Supreme Court.
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The Supreme court sat in 1962 and passed a ruling that would be the subject of intense debate for decades to come. In the case usually referred to as Engel v. Vitale, the judges ruled by majority 6 to 1 in favor of the complainants (United States Courts, n.d). In the ruling read by Black, the majority squashed the previous court ruling stating that the provision that allowed the students to choose whether or not to participate in the prayer did not in any way make it constitutional (United States Courts, n.d). The parents had their way, but the battle was far from over.
The Supreme court ruling only compounded the tension surrounding the freedom of religion and intensified the debate further. Tension is becoming more by the day. However, some hold the opinion that the supreme court did not bar prayers in public schools. According to this faction, the ruling does protect rather than prohibit the freedom of religion (Freedom Forum Institute, n.d). They argue that as long as the prayers are not state-sponsored or state-organized, students have the freedom to pray in person or groups (Freedom Forum Institute, n.d). However, some will wonder whether that is the case considering that some citizens have even lost their jobs for acting in a manner seen to be contradicting the Supreme court ruling. A school in Arizona fired a freshman coach in September 2014 for leading team prayers during school games (Cook, 2014). In a separate incidence within the same month of September 2014, a university within a different district in Arizona suspended a coach for conducting team prayers. (Cook, 2014). Recently, in a case raising concern about the prayers led before the city council meetings, the Supreme Court gave a ruling that offers a compromise, allowing prayers in such functions but on condition that the prayers rotate among the different religions (Cook, 2014). The ruling gives some hope on how people should go about the matter, but it would be too early to conclude.
The ban on prayer in schools and is a contentious and sensitive one and needs to be approached with greater caution. Suppose those arguing that the Supreme Court ruling did outlaw prayers in schools are correct. In that case, those who have suffered a similar fate to these two coaches deserve unreserved apology and compensation.
References
Facts and case summary - Engel v. Vitale. (n.d.). United States Courts. https://www.uscourts.gov/educational-resources/educational-activities/facts-and-case-summary-engel-v-vitale
Is it legal for students to pray in public schools? (n.d.). Freedom Forum Institute | Champions of the First Amendment. https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/about/faq/is-it-legal-for-students-to-pray-in-public-schools/
Cook, B. (2014, October 5). Why the battle over prayer at high school sporting events is getting more intense. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/bobcook/2014/10/05/why-the-battle-over-prayer-at-high-school-sporting-events-is-getting-more-intense/#6f5b0712bef5
Gudorf, G. (2017, October 13). The history of prayer being removed from schools. Pure Flix Insider | Movies, Prayer, Faith, and More. https://insider.pureflix.com/lifestyle/the-history-of-prayer-being-removed-from-schools
