Notable Lawsuits Over School Prayer in Missouri

The debate over school prayer has been a pervasive issue for years, but a recent case in Missouri is a particularly notable example in the state.

In 2013, the American Humanist Association filed a lawsuit geared at halting teacher-led school prayers at Fayette High School near Kansas City.

ALERT: Should Prayer Be Allowed in Public Schools? Vote Now

The atheist group claimed the school prayers violated the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.

In the suit, which was filed on behalf of the AHA, a former Fayette High student, a current student, and that student's mother, the association noted that a teacher at the high school led weekly prayer sessions inside the classrooms during the period after buses arrived and before classes began. The prayers were announced by the school's principal on the school's public intercom system.

The settlement required the school to restrict religious activities on campus. It also prohibited faculty members from participating in prayers and school personnel from keeping religious items out in the open where students can see them.

VOTE NOW: Do You Support Prayer in Public Schools?

Related Stories:

• Notable Lawsuits Over School Prayer in Nebraska
  
• Notable Lawsuits Over School Prayer in West Virginia