Which case addressed school prayer and the establishment of religion in public schools?

• A. Abington School District v. Schempp
• B. Lemon v. Kurtzman
• C. Wallace v. Jaffree
• D. Engel v. Vitale

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is how the Establishment Clause limits government involvement with religion in public schools. Engel v. Vitale held that public schools cannot sponsor prayers. In this case, a state-authorized, non-denominational prayer was to be recited at the start of the school day. The Court ruled that inviting students to participate in government-authored prayer amounts to government endorsement of religion, which the Establishment Clause prohibits, even if the prayer is voluntary and non-denominational. This decision established that the state cannot compose or direct prayers for use in public education, emphasizing neutrality toward religion during the school day. Other cases address related issues, like Bible readings or the permissibility of moments of silence, but Engel v. Vitale is the defining ruling on school-sponsored prayer.