By David L. Hudson Jr. In Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962), the Supreme Court ruled that school-sponsored prayer in public schools violated the establishment clause of the First Amendment.

What was the argument in Engel v Vitale?

In 1959, a group of parents in New Hyde Park, New York, led by Steven Engel, brought suit against school board president William Vitale, arguing that the prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, which was applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment.

What happened in Engel v Vitale quizlet?

1) Supreme Court ruled, 6-1, in favor of the objecting parents. 1) School-sponsored prayer was unconstitutional because it violated the Establishment Clause. 3) Establishment Clause was to prevent the government from setting up a particular religious sect of church as the "official" church.