school district of abington township, pennsylvania v. schempp

Pennsylvania law, like that of four other states, included a statute compelling school districts to perform Bible readings in the mornings before classes. Law 1928) required that 't least ten verses from the Holy Bible read, without comment, at the opening of each public school on each school day.' Schempp specifically contended that the statute violated his and his family's rights under the First and Fourteenth Amendments. The Abington case began when Edward Schempp, a Unitarian Universalist and a resident of Abington Township, Pennsylvania, filed suit against the Abington School District in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania to prohibit the enforcement of a Pennsylvania state law that required his children, specifically Ellery Schempp, to hear and sometimes read portions of the Bible as part of their public school education.

203 (1963), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court decided 8–1 in favor of the respondent, Edward Schempp, on behalf of his son Ellery Schempp, and declared that school-sponsored Bible reading and the recitation of the Lord's Prayer in public schools in the United States was unconstitutional. Legally sanctioned or officially mandated Bible reading and prayer in public schools is unconstitutional.Ĭhief Justice Earl Warren Associate Justices Hugo Black Ĭlark, joined by Warren, Black, Douglas, Harlan, Brennan, White, GoldbergĪbington School District v. 1962) probable jurisdiction noted, 371 U.S. School District of Abington Township, 201 F.

School district of abington township, pennsylvania v. schempp