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)
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 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)
Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)William J. Vitale, the respondent in the US Supreme Court case Engel v. Vitale, was President of the Board of Education of Union Free School District No. 9 (aka Herricks School District).For more information, see Related Questions, below.
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In Engel v. Vitale (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that the voluntary recitation of a school-sponsored prayer, even if non-denominational, violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The Court held that the government should not be involved in composing or endorsing religious activities in public schools, as it effectively promotes religion. This landmark decision reinforced the principle of separation of church and state in the context of public education.
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.
Constitutional lawCase Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)
New York StateCase Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)
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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Engel v. Vitale, 191 N.Y.S.2d 453 (Sup. Ct. 1959) began in the Supreme Court at Special Term in Nassau County, New York. A decision favoring the New Hyde Park, NY, school district was rendered October 5, 1959, by Judge Bernard S. Meyer. The court held the Reagents' Prayer was constitutional.Engle was subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court Appellate Division, Second Department which affirmed the lower court decision in Engel v. Vitale, 206 N.Y.S.2d 183 (1960); and upheld again by the New York Court of Appeals in Engel v. Vitale, 176 N.E.2d 579 (N.Y. 1961).In the New York justice system, the Supreme Court is the court of original jurisdiction (trial court) for matters of general jurisdiction. The State's high court is the New York Court of Appeals.Case Citation:Engel v. Vitale, 370 US 421 (1962)For more information, see Related Questions, below.
Teaching religion in public schools was forbidden.