Wisconsin v. Yoder

Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972), is a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court.

Wisconsin’s compulsory school attendance law required children to attend school until age 16. Jonas Yoder and other Amish parents refused to send their children to public or private school after the eighth grade, arguing that formal schooling beyond that age violated their religious beliefs and way of life. The parents were convicted and fined.

Significance

Chief Justice Burger’s 6-1 opinion held that Wisconsin’s law violated the Free Exercise Clause as applied to the Amish. The Court found that the Amish had demonstrated a sincere religious belief, that the state’s interest in two additional years of education was minimal compared to the burden on the Amish faith, and that the Amish provided adequate vocational education. Yoder remains a leading precedent for religious exemptions from generally applicable laws, though its scope was limited by Employment Division v. Smith (1990).

Category

US Federal Case Law