Appeals Court Allows Student-Led Graduation Prayers
A school district that allows the top four graduating seniors to speak on any topic during commencement exercises does not violate the First Amendment, even if the students elect to recite prayers or sing religious songs, a federal appeals court ruled last week.
The 3-0 ruling by a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is the latest in the ongoing battle over graduation prayers. The San Francisco-based court said the policy of the 4,200-student Madison district in Rexburg, Idaho, passed constitutional muster because the content of the students' speech was not controlled by school officials.
"Under the Madison school district's policy, control vests in the individual students, not the state," said the May 27 ruling in Doe v. Madison School District No. 321 .
This article is available to subscribers only.
To keep reading this article and more, subscribe now or purchase this article.
Subscribe to Education Week and Save
Get a full year and save up to 45%!
Viewed
Emailed
Recommended
Commented
- Superintendent of Schools
- Washoe County School District, Reno, NV
- Assistant Superintendent / Chief Academic Officer
- Nye County School District, Pahrump, NV
- VP of Business Development
- Pearson Education, Multiple Locations
- Elementary School Principal
- Imagine Schools - DC Region, DC
- Executive Director of School Administration and Leadership Pre-K-12
- Frederick County Public Schools, Frederick, MD


