Abington School District v. Schempp

Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (1963), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

Pennsylvania law required public school students to hear and read from the Bible at the start of each school day. Students could be excused upon parental request. The Schempp family, who were Unitarian, challenged the law as violating the Establishment Clause. A companion case (Murray v. Curlett) challenged Baltimore’s similar practice.

Significance

Justice Clark’s 8-1 opinion struck down the Bible reading requirement. The Court held that religious exercises in public schools violate the Establishment Clause even when participation is voluntary. The decision applied the test from Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) — the practice must have a secular purpose, its primary effect must neither advance nor inhibit religion, and it must not foster excessive government entanglement with religion. Engel and Schempp together eliminated government-sponsored prayer and Bible reading from American public schools.

Category

US Federal Case Law