Which U.S. Supreme Court case declared school-sponsored prayer unconstitutional?

Engel v. Vitale declared school-sponsored prayer unconstitutional. In 1962, the Supreme Court held that public-school officials could not compose an official prayer and encourage students to recite it, even when participation was voluntary and the wording was non-denominational.

The case arose in New Hyde Park, New York, where the local school district used a 22-word prayer recommended by New York’s Board of Regents. Several families challenged the practice, arguing that government-written prayer violated the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause as applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

Justice Hugo Black wrote the 6–1 majority opinion. The Court emphasized that government cannot use its authority, prestige, or school machinery to promote religious belief. Engel did not prohibit students from praying privately; it prohibited the state from organizing or sponsoring the prayer.

A common mix-up is Abington School District v. Schempp, decided in 1963. Schempp addressed school-sponsored Bible reading, while Engel specifically concerned an official prayer. Later cases, including Lee v. Weisman, extended the principle to other school ceremonies.