The Petitioners (Engel), a group of ten parents of students in the Union Free School District No. 9, in Hyde Park, New York, prevailed over the New York Board of Regents. The parents objected to a state law permitting recitation of prayer in public school, based largely on the prayer being directed to "Almighty God," a practice contradictory to their religious beliefs.
The US Supreme Court held that organized prayer in public school was a violation of the First Amendment Establishment Clause.
Case Citation:
Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)
For more information about Engel v. Vitale and prayer in public schools, see Related Questions, below.
Steven L. Engel was the nominal petitioner (comparable to a plaintiff) in Engel v. Vitale, but his name was used to represent a group of families in Hyde Park, New York, who objected to a state law mandating schools lead students in a brief prayer at the start of each day.
The nominal respondent (comparable to a defendant) was William J. Vitale, in his capacity as President of the Board of Education of Union Free School District No. 9 (aka Herricks School District).
The trial occurred in a New York state court. The US Supreme Court heard the case on appeal, and did not hold a trial.
Case Citation:
Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)
Only seven justices participated in Engel v Vitale:
Majority
Justice Hugo Black (wrote the majority opinion)
Chief Justice Earl Warren
Justice William O. Douglas
Justice Tom C. Clark
Justice John Marshall Harlan II
Justice William J. Brennan, Jr.
Dissenting
Justice Potter Stewart
Justices Felix Frankfurter and Byron White took no part in the decision.
Case Citation:
Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)
Constitutional lawCase Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)
New York StateCase Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)
Steven L. Engel was the nominal petitioner (comparable to a plaintiff) in Engel v. Vitale, but his name was used to represent a group of ten families in Hyde Park, New York, who objected on religious grounds to a state law mandating schools lead students in a brief prayer at the start of each day.The nominal respondent (comparable to a defendant) was William J. Vitale, in his capacity as President of the Board of Education of Union Free School District No. 9 (aka Herricks School District).Case Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)For more information, see Related Questions, below.
Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)The proper Italian pronunciation of Vitale is vee-TAHL-ay; however, the name has also been Anglicized as vih-TAHL-ee. The second version is typically used when referring to this case.For more information, see Related Questions, below.
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that all ballsacks are to be round
Teaching religion in public schools was forbidden.
Teaching religion in public schools was forbidden.
The school district involved in Engel v. Vitale, (1962) is usually identified in case documents as Union Free School District No. 9, but is more commonly known as Herricks School District. It is located in Hyde Park, western Nassau County, New York.Case Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)
Engel v. Vitale began in the Union Free School District No. 9, in Hyde Park, New York, after parents of ten students objected to the New York Board of Regents' formal introduction of prayer into the schools and complained that directing the prayer to "Almighty God" was contradictory to their religious practices.Case Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)
Various Clauses of the First Amendment
Justice Byron White had not been sworn in at the time, and Justice Felix Frankfurter had a stroke.Case Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)