Engel v. Vitale (1962)

FRQ Prompt

At a middle school graduation in Providence, Rhode Island, the school principal invited a rabbi to deliver nonsectarian prayers. Deborah Weisman sued, arguing that the inclusion of clergy-led prayer at a public school graduation ceremony violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that including prayer at graduation ceremonies created "coercive" pressure on students to participate in religious observance, thereby violating the constitutional prohibition against government-sponsored religion.