Engel Vs Vitale Case Study
Engel v. Vitale
In 1962, the New York Law approved a prayer that sent the country into chaos. It all began when the New York Board of Regents authorized a short prayer that students would recite along with the Pledge of Allegiance. According to the school, the prayer was voluntary and non-denominational. The prayer read, "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and beg Thy blessings upon us, our teachers, and our country." Many parents revolted and argued that the voluntary prayer was against their religious beliefs. One group of parents, lead by Steven Engel, took the case to court, claiming that the prayer violated the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment. Two major questions were argued in this court case. The first question …show more content…
The second question of the case is whether or not the reading of the prayer violates the Establishment Clause. The Establishment Clause prohibits laws that respect an establishment of religion by congress. Some parents argued that by having the students and teachers recite the prayer, the public was showing that the government was “respecting an establishment of religion”. The case began when Lawrence Roth, a parent of a student attending school in the Herricks School District, organized a group of parents who believed that the school prayer was wrong and unconstitutional. This group included Roth, Monroe Lerner, David Lichtenstein, Leonore Lyons and Steven Engel. Because the plaintiffs were listed alphabetically, Engle’s name would become the most well known. This group hired William Butler, a corporate lawyer who was also on the board of the New York Civil Liberties Union. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also helped out the in plaintiff's suit. The ACLU was a nonprofit organization that helped out in certain court cases dealing with the bill of rights. The state hired Bertram Daiker, who was the school board’s attorney, for the defence. Another group of parents, led by Henry Hollenberg,
In 1962, the New York Law approved a prayer that sent the country into chaos. It all began when the New York Board of Regents authorized a short prayer that students would recite along with the Pledge of Allegiance. According to the school, the prayer was voluntary and non-denominational. The prayer read, "Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and beg Thy blessings upon us, our teachers, and our country." Many parents revolted and argued that the voluntary prayer was against their religious beliefs. One group of parents, lead by Steven Engel, took the case to court, claiming that the prayer violated the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment. Two major questions were argued in this court case. The first question …show more content…
The second question of the case is whether or not the reading of the prayer violates the Establishment Clause. The Establishment Clause prohibits laws that respect an establishment of religion by congress. Some parents argued that by having the students and teachers recite the prayer, the public was showing that the government was “respecting an establishment of religion”. The case began when Lawrence Roth, a parent of a student attending school in the Herricks School District, organized a group of parents who believed that the school prayer was wrong and unconstitutional. This group included Roth, Monroe Lerner, David Lichtenstein, Leonore Lyons and Steven Engel. Because the plaintiffs were listed alphabetically, Engle’s name would become the most well known. This group hired William Butler, a corporate lawyer who was also on the board of the New York Civil Liberties Union. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) also helped out the in plaintiff's suit. The ACLU was a nonprofit organization that helped out in certain court cases dealing with the bill of rights. The state hired Bertram Daiker, who was the school board’s attorney, for the defence. Another group of parents, led by Henry Hollenberg,