by Gary Taylor
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion….
Yesterday the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear the case of Greece, NY v. Galloway, which focuses on the first ten words of the First Amendment, commonly referred to as the Establishment Clause. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last year that the Establishment Clause was violated when the Greece Town Board repeatedly used Christian clergy to conduct prayers at the start of its public meetings. The decision created split with other appeals courts that have upheld prayer at public meetings. This split among the appeals courts led to the Supreme Court taking the case. The Court will hear the case in its next term, which begins in October. Its decision should come in the spring of 2014, and could have broad implications for public schools and public events.
Analysis from Scotusblog is here.
