Establishment+Clause

Religion Guidelines for New York State Administrators

The **Establishment Clause** and **Free Exercise Clause** of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution primarily govern the role of religion in the public schools (New York State School Boards Association [NYSSBA], 2010, p. 757, School Law § 36:1). The Establishment Clause “prohibits the state from passing laws that aid a religion or show preference for one religion over another” (Essex, 2012, p. 15). The Free Exercise Clause “prohibits the state from interfering with individual religious freedoms” (Essex, 2012, p. 15). The “combined effect of these two clauses compels public schools as state agencies to maintain a neutral position in their daily operation regarding religious matters” (Essex, 2012, p. 15). This means that “the state can neither aid nor inhibit religion – it must adhere to the principle of neutrality” (Essex, 2012, p. 15).

**__SECTION I: ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE __**


 * 1. __ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE:__ **


 * Establishment Clause ** states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion. It has been interpreted to require the separation of church and state and is applicable to the states and their subdivisions, including school districts” (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 757, School Law § 36:2). This clause “prohibits the state from passing laws that aid a religion or show preference for one religion over another” (Essex, 2012, p. 15).


 * United States **** Supreme Court: **
 * Courts have ruled that the Establishment Clause “requires that government pursue a course of complete neutrality toward religion, and not promote religion or entangle itself in religious matters” (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 757, School Law § 36:2).
 * //McCreary Cnty. v. ACLU //, 545 U.S. 844 (2005)
 * //BOE of the Kiryas Joel Village Sch. Dist. v. Grumet //, 512 U.S. 687 (1994)
 * //Lee v. Weisman //, 505 U.S. 577 (1992)
 * //Wallace v. Jaffree //, 472 U.S. 38 (1985)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Larson v. Valente //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 456 U.S. 228 (1982), //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">rehg denied //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 457 U.S. 1111 (1982)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">However, “not all governmental conduct that confers a benefit on or gives special recognition to religion is automatically prohibited as it depends on all the circumstances surrounding the particular church-state relationship” (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 757, School Law § 36:2).
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lynch v. Donnelly //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">, 465 U.S. 668 (1984)


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">2. __ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE: STANDARDS USED TO DETERMINE__ **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">The “standard to determine whether governmental action violates the separation of church and state principles of the Establishment Clause is the //Lemon// test, a three-pronged test established by the United States Supreme Court and named after the lawsuit that gave rise to it” (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 758, School Law § 36:5). “To be constitutional, an action: (1) must not have a religious purpose; (2) must not have a principal or primary effect of advancing or inhibiting religion; and (3) must not foster excessive government entanglement with religion” (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 758, School Law § 36:5).
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">Lemon v. Kurtzman, //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> (403 U.S. 602 (1971), //rehg denied//, 404 U.S. 876 (1971), //on// //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">remand //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">, 348 F.Supp. 300 (E.D. Pa. 1972), //affd//, 411 U.S. 192 (1973)


 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">United States ****<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;"> Supreme Court: **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">“Court has decided a number of cases without reference to the //Lemon// test” (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 758, School Law § 36:5).
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">BOE of the Kiryas Joel Village Sch. Dist. v. Grumet //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 512 U.S. 687 (1994)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills Sch. Dist //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">., 509 U.S. 1 (1993)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Lambs Chapel v. Center Moriches UFSD //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 508 U.S. 384 (1993), remanded without //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">op., //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">17 F.3d 1425 (2d Cir. 1994)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Lee v. Weisman //, 505 U.S. 577 (1992)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">“While several justices have questioned the continued appropriateness of the //Lemon// test, the Supreme Court as a whole has not overruled //Lemon// and still makes use of its principles as necessary” (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 758, School Law § 36:5).
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">McCreary Cnty. v. ACLU //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 545 U.S. 844 (2005)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Doe v. Santa Fe Indep. Sch. Dist //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">., 530 U.S. 290 (2000)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Agostini v. Felton //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 521 U.S. 203 (1997)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 12pt;">“High court also uses an Establishment Clause analysis that focuses on global principles of neutrality not linked to a specific test” (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 758, School Law § 36:5). “Under these neutrality principles, the Establishment Clause is violated when government acts in a non-neutral manner toward religion by favoring (1) religion over non-religion, (2) non-religion over religion, or (3) a particular denomination over another (NYSSBA, 2010, p. 758, School Law § 36:5).
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Zelman v. Simmons-Harris //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 536 U.S. 639 (2002)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">BOE // //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Kiryas Joel Village // //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Sch. Dist. Grumet, //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> 512 U.S. 687 (1994)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Wallace v. Jaffree //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 472 U.S. 38 (1985)
 * //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Larson v. Valente //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 456 U.S. 228 (1982), //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">rehg denied //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">, 457 U.S. 1111 (1982)