Year: 1985
Result: 6:3, favor Jaffree
Related Constitutional issue/amendment: 1st amendment (freedom of religion); Establishment clause
Civil Rights or Civil Liberties: Liberties
Significance/Precedent: The ruling reinforced the secular purpose test, which proved that the school prayer had no secular purpose and did in fact advance religion, despite the fact that the school claimed it was a time for "meditation" or "voluntary prayer." It also demonstrated that any law, rule, or policy that may favor religion is subject to strict scrutiny, not just laws dealing with discrimination. It followed a very similar ruling to that of Engel v. Vitale.
Quote from majority opinion: "In applying the purpose test, it is appropriate to ask 'whether government's actual purpose is to endorse or disapprove of religion.' In this case, the answer to that question is dispositive. For the record not only provides us with an unambiguous affirmative answer, but it also reveals that the enactment was not motivated by any clearly secular purpose indeed, the statute had no secular purpose."
6-word summary: public schools cannot lead any prayer
Result: 6:3, favor Jaffree
Related Constitutional issue/amendment: 1st amendment (freedom of religion); Establishment clause
Civil Rights or Civil Liberties: Liberties
Significance/Precedent: The ruling reinforced the secular purpose test, which proved that the school prayer had no secular purpose and did in fact advance religion, despite the fact that the school claimed it was a time for "meditation" or "voluntary prayer." It also demonstrated that any law, rule, or policy that may favor religion is subject to strict scrutiny, not just laws dealing with discrimination. It followed a very similar ruling to that of Engel v. Vitale.
Quote from majority opinion: "In applying the purpose test, it is appropriate to ask 'whether government's actual purpose is to endorse or disapprove of religion.' In this case, the answer to that question is dispositive. For the record not only provides us with an unambiguous affirmative answer, but it also reveals that the enactment was not motivated by any clearly secular purpose indeed, the statute had no secular purpose."
6-word summary: public schools cannot lead any prayer