Engel v. Vitale

Engel v. Vitale was a 1962 Supreme Court case that challenged the practice of state-sponsored prayer in public schools. The court ruled that having official prayers in school, even if students could choose not to participate, violated the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious freedom. This decision established that public schools could not promote or endorse religious activities, emphasizing the need for government neutrality on religion. It reinforced the idea that government institutions, including schools, must remain secular to protect individual religious rights and prevent government-imposed religious practices.