Religion and Public Schools Essay
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First Amendment: Religion and Education Essay
Latoya Simpson
POS 500
August 2023
In our society, many people view their religious beliefs as an important factor in their lives. Many also feel that their education has equal importance
as well. Within the educational system of the United States, we have the choice to educate our children in public or private schools. When choosing which university I would attend to receive my master’s degree, I chose Grand
Canyon University based on their reputation of being a Christian-centered institution of learning. Students at GCU are allowed to confess their faith in Jesus Christ openly without any consequences, but this may not be the case in public Schools funded by the federal government.
The founding fathers of the United States wanted citizens to have the freedom to choose their own religion and for religion to be separate from the state. Mark Edwards stated that "despite their respect for religion and their belief in the divine origins of human rights, many of the Founding Fathers worried that religion would corrupt the state and, conversely, that the state would corrupt religion" (
Was America founded as a Christian nation?
2015). The First Amendment of the United States Constitution gives its' citizens the right to religion, meaning that Congress should not have any law to stop citizens from starting or practicing their religion of choice. In the case study provided, the teacher displays their students’ work in their classroom. One student submitted an assignment, which was an essay on Jesus being their hero and a drawing of The Last Supper. This essay will show if any legal issues regarding the grading and displaying of the student's work are present
and how the First amendment applies to this situation.
In this case study, there are two legal issues that involve the First Amendment and freedom of religion. The first issue is does the teacher have the right to grade the essay due to its' religious nature and the second issue is if the display of The Last Supper is unconstitutional based on the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. In regard to situations such as
this, the United States Department of Education (USDOE) has provided guidelines to help educators navigate the thin line between religion and
public education. The USDOE states that “students may express their beliefs about religion in homework, artwork, and other written and oral assignments free from discrimination based on the religious perspective of their submissions. Such home and classroom work should be judged by ordinary academic standards of substance, relevance, and other legitimate pedagogical objectives” (
Guidance on constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression in public elementary and secondary schools 2023). This gives the teacher permission to grade the student’s work without any biases against their religion of choice while also being able to display the student’s work within the classroom. An example of how the teacher can display the student's work is to create an area where other students can write or display artwork of figures of their respective religions. This would create a place to display that student’s artwork and provide an inclusive and open space to the whole class to share their religion in similar ways. This also gives the teacher the opportunity to teach on the different religions and how they are viewed in society. The teacher can create an assignment that aligns with state standards and curriculum related to world religions. The second issue is how does the First Amendment apply to this situation. The First Amendment applies to this case study because it gives citizens the freedom of religion and limits Congress from establishing any type of religion. This is where the notion of separation between the church and state was thought to come from, but in reality, that statement is not found in the Bill of Rights. The statement was written in a letter by President Thomas Jefferson. “The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prohibits the government from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion.” This clause not only forbids the government from establishing an official religion, but also prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another. It also prohibits the government from unduly preferring
religion over non-religion, or non-religion over religion” (Wex Definitions Team, Establishment clause
2022).
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Several landmark Supreme Court cases have been decided and set as a precedent when it comes to religion in public schools. The most famous case is Engel v. Vitale
, 370 U.S. 421 (1962). In this case, the Supreme Court decided and ruled that schoolwide prayer in public schools was in violation of
the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Another case related to religion in public schools is Lee v. Weisman
, 505 U.S. 577 (1992). The decision for this case prohibited prayer during school-sponsored activities, such as sports games, plays, musicals, and graduations. The most recent Supreme Court case that focuses on religion in public schools and the First Amendment is Kennedy v. Bremerton School District
, 142 S. Ct. 2407 (June 27, 2022). In this case, the coach of a football team was in his scope of his freedom of speech and religion when he prayed on the 50 yard line at the end of a football game (
Case categories: public schools and religion 2023). Although the case study is not In violation of the Establishment Clause and goes along with the guidelines of the USDOE, you can clearly see how blurred the line is when it comes to freedom of speech and public education.
References
Anti-Defamation League. (2016, September 1). Religious displays on school property. Anti-Defamation League. https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-and-
strategies/religious-displays-school-property Edwards, M. (2015, July 4). Was America founded as a Christian nation?. CNN.
https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/02/living/america-christian-nation/index.html#
:~:text=Despite%20their%20respect%20for%20religion,the%20state
%20would%20corrupt%20religion. Middle Tennessee State University. (2023). Case categories: public schools and religion. The First Amendment Encyclopedia. https://www.mtsu.edu/first-
amendment/encyclopedia/case/98/public-schools-and-religion
National Coalition Against Censorship. (2019, March 20). The First Amendment in schools: Resource guide: Religious expression in the public schools. National Coalition Against Censorship. https://ncac.org/resource/the-
first-amendment-in-schools-resource-guide-religious-expression-in-the-public-
schools#:~:text=Religious%20Messages%3A%20Schools%20may
%20not,part%20of%20an%20academic%20program. U.S. Department of Education. (2023, May 15). Guidance on constitutionally protected prayer and religious expression in public elementary and Secondary Schools. U.S. Department of Education. https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.ht
ml Wex Definitions Team. (2022, November). Establishment clause. Legal Information Institute. https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/establishment_clause Wicht, S. (2014, June 2). What does the First Amendment say about displaying religious symbols?. Learning for Justice. https://www.learningforjustice.org/magazine/what-does-the-first-amendment-
say-about-displaying-religious-symbols