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Legal Principle at Issue

Does the practice of opening town meetings with sectarian prayer violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?

Action

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of the Town of Greece. In the majority opinion written by Justice Kennedy, the Court upheld the town's prayer practice, citing historical precedents that legislative prayer has long been part of American tradition (specifically Marsh v. Chambers in 1983). The prayers did not violate the Constitution merely because they were sectarian or predominantly Christian, and so long as the town maintained a policy of non-discrimination in selecting prayer-givers and did not coerce participation, the practice was constitutional.

Facts/Syllabus

The Town of Greece, New York, began its town board meetings with a moment of prayer starting in 1999. These prayers were almost exclusively Christian in content, delivered by invited local clergy. Two residents, Susan Galloway, who is Jewish, and Linda Stephens, who is an atheist, filed a lawsuit arguing that the prayers violated the Establishment Clause because they effectively endorsed Christianity and coerced public participation in religious exercises. Writing for the dissent, Justice Kagan argued that the town’s prayer practice effectively excluded non-Christians and aligned the government too closely with one religion. Kagan emphasized the inclusive role of government and suggested that official prayer should strive to reflect the religious diversity of the community.

Importance of Case

This case reinforced the constitutionality of legislative prayer, even if explicitly religious, provided it's not coercive or discriminatory, and clarified the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the Establishment Clause as permitting some religious expression in public settings.