As a result of the Court's holding, employers need only show a "significant risk" of constitutional infringement to involve the courts in the dubious chore of interpreting legislative history. Available from Business Manager, Dickinson Law Review, Carlisle, PA 17013. (Author/IRT)

The National PTA holds the position that religion should be dealt with in public schools in an academic, not a devotional way. This article discusses the implications of Supreme Court decisions on religion in the schools and appropriate ways of including religion in the school curriculum. (IAH)

Discusses reasons why the "Lee v. Weisman" Supreme Court decision that held unconstitutional a Rhode Island school policy for prayer at a junior high school commencement does not extend to the university level. Concludes that an appropriately worded commencement prayer could pass the three-part "Lemon" threshold and not violate…

Discusses Louisiana case wherein a federal district court judge ruled that an elementary principal violated the Establishment Clause by distributing Bibles to students. Includes Supreme Court's three-part "Lemon" test to determine if government practice violates the Establishment Clause. (PKP)

A court-approved Milwaukee voucher program permits up to 15% of the city's public schoolchildren to attend private/religious schools at state expense. This represents no victory for vouchers. Although the Wisconsin Supreme Court found vouchers constitutional, it may not believe they are valid under the federal constitution. (MLH)

Pledging allegiance to the flag--and the "one nation under God" it is said to represent--has been second nature to generations of American schoolchildren. Yet few have had as much reason to reflect on the practice as those in Sacramento, California. Since March 2000, California's Elk Grove school district has faced a legal challenge to…

The report from an informal state-by-state survey lists incidents that implicate the principle of separation of church and state. The report is not meant to be a comprehensive list of every church-state problem in the United States. Rather, it is intended to be a "snapshot" of conflicts throughout the country. The document covers the…

A survey of school board presidents investigated their knowledge of laws concerning school prayer and their attitudes toward school prayer. One hundred and eighteen of the 282 board presidents in 2 southeastern states completed a mail survey containg 5 items designed to measure legal awareness and 5 designed to examine attitudes. Data were…

This brochure presents constitutional principles and guidelines to enable schools and religious groups to work together. It states that public schools must be neutral concerning religion in all of their activities; students have the right to engage in, or decline to engage in, religious activities so long as they do not interfere with the rights…

Examines how, in two court decisions concerning prayer in higher education and public secondary education facilities, the different settings led to different analyses and results. Suggests the impact that the Supreme Court's decision may have on future secondary education cases. (MLF)

Since Christmas activities in many schools are in violation of the U.S. Constitution, guidelines are given for evaluating Christmas activities in public schools. (JD)

In "Zobrest" and "Kiryas Joel" the Supreme Court considered the relationship between public and private school systems, and between church and state. Examines the situations of the cases and the opinions of the Supreme Court Justices in relation to them, and in relation to the 15 most recent Establishment Clause cases affecting…

Discusses why public schools are making religion an important part of social-studies curriculum and why teaching of religion may create unintended constitutional violations. Explores the efficacy of current legal tests of constitutionality of religion in schools. Proposes new test for evaluating the constitutionality of religion in public-school…

Describes religious illiteracy among undergraduate students. Examines high school textbooks in United States and world history, economics, home economics, and biology. Finds religion almost completely ignored. Argues that the religious neutrality mandated by the Supreme Court effectively eradicates religion from the curriculum. Suggests a new test…