Religion Court Cases

Question 1

Minersville School District v. Gobitis

Answer 1

Court upheld the expulsion of two schoolchildren who refused to Salute the flag because it violated their faith as Jehovah’s Witnesses

Question 2

West Virginia v. Barnett

Answer 2

Overturned Minersville School District v. Gobitis (1940)

Firmly established free exercise of religion as protected against the State

Question 3

Everson v. Board of Education (1947)

Answer 3

No state can use revenues to support institutions that teach religion

Example: The Supreme Court ruled in Everson v. Board of Education (1947) that no state can use tax revenues to support religious institutions.

Question 4

McCollum v. Board of Education (1948)

Answer 4

A program for teaching religion in public schools was found unconstitutional

Example: In McCollum v. Board of Education (1948), the Supreme Court found a program for teaching religion in public schools to be unconstitutional.

Question 5

Zorach v. Clauson (1952)

Answer 5

Supported program that let students leave school premises early for religious reasons

Example: Zorach v. Clauson (1952) supported a program that allowed students to leave school premises early for religious reasons.

Question 6

Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)

Answer 6

The Lemon Test

The law must have a secular purpose
The primary effect of the law must be neither to advance nor retard religion
Government must never foster excessive entanglements between the state and religion

Question 7

Rosenberger v. University of Virginia (1995)

Answer 7

Ruled that the university must provide the same financial subsidy to a student religious publication that it provides to other student publications

No additional information

Question 8

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Answer 8

Ordered the state of New York to suspend its requirement that all students in public schools recite a nondenominational prayer at the start of each school day

No additional information

Question 9

Stone v. Graham (1980)

Answer 9

Ruled against posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms

Question 10

Lee v. Weismann (1992)

Answer 10

Ruled against allowing school-sponsored prayer at graduation

Question 11

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000)

Answer 11

Ruled that student-led prayer at school-sponsored events are unconstitutional

Question 12

Passage of ACA and Burwell v. Hobby Lobby

Answer 12

Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby –ACA could not make private companies, with religious objections, supply birth control to their employees