Nonclassroom+Prayer+&+Religious+Activities

I. Prayer at extracurricular events and graduation ceremonies A. Santa Fe v. Jane Doe 1. Student led prayer over loudspeaker before every football game 2. Unconstitutional according to establishment clause 3. School violated the establishment clause by sponsoring the pray by using the schools loudspeaker to broadcast the students prayer. 4. School argued free speech rights for student led prayer, but the courts decided it crossed over the line of the establishment clause because it was broadcast using school (government owned) equipment. B. Lee v. Weisman 1. Delivery of an invocation at a high school commencement, by a rabbi whom the school authorities invited for that purpose, violated the establishment clause 2. Lee v. Weisman was interpreted by the circuit courts with variations a. 5th circuit court held 1. Lee did not prohibit public school from giving students the option, on their own initiative and free form direct school control to have a member of the grad class deliver a prayer. 2. school sponsored prayer that is student led at school sponsored events is unconstitutional 3. that a school’s use of a volunteer clergy to conduct a course on civic virtues and morality is unconstitutional b. 11th circuit court 1. followed the 5th in upholding student initiated prayer c. 3rd circuit court 1. found such prayers to be unconstitutional d. 6th circuit court 1. nonsectarian invocation at college commencements are ok 2. opening prayer at school board meeting with students present is unconstitutional
 * Nonclassroom Prayer & Religious Activities**