PS 202 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Vashti Mccollum, School Prayer, Warren E. Burger

• School: University of Illinois
• Department: Political Science
• Course: PS 202
• Professor: Rudolph Thomas

Document Summary

Champaign, il allowed privately employed religious teachers to teach optional religion classes in the public school during a thirty minute release time period. Separate classes were available for protestants, catholics, and jews. Vashti mccollum, a parent and taxpayer, sued under the 1st and 14th amendments. Ruling in favor of mccollum, the court found that the il program is beyond all question a utilization of the tax-established and tax-supported public school system to aid religious groups to spread their faith. And it falls squarely under the ban of the. First amendment as we interpreted it in everson here not only are the state"s tax- supported public school buildings used for the dissemination of religious doctrines. The state also affords sectarian groups an invaluable aid in that it helps to provide pupils for their religious classes through the use of the state"s compulsory public school machinery. This is not separation of church and state. (hugo black, majority opinion)