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Portfolio Artifact #6

Joseph Sliney

College of Southern Nevada, EDU 210

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In this scenario a kindergarten teacher named Karen White has told her students parents

that she can no longer lead or participate in any projects dealing with any type of religion

because she is a new Jehovah’s Witnesses. This means she cannot decorate her classroom any

more for certain holidays, exchange gifts at Christmas, sing happy birthday, or even recite the

Pledge of Allegiance. The parents of the students in her class became upset and decided to

protest. Bill ward, the school principal, made a decision that she should be dismissed from the

school because she is ineffectively meeting the needs of her students.

The first case that would help Karen is Engel v. Vitale (1962). In this case the court ruled

that students cannot be told they have to recite a state-composed prayer at school even if it is

nondenominational and the school cannot subject a prayer on a school sponsorship. This case is

beneficial to Ms. White because it shows that she does not have to have any religious material in

her classroom because it would be on the same basis of the prayer. It would violate the

separation of school and church and it would make Karen feel uncomfortable while in her

workplace.

The next case that would be beneficial to Ms. White is court case Santa Fe Independent

School District v. Doe (2000). In this case the U.S. Supreme Court held that a policy permitting

student-led “invocations” before a football game violated the Establishment Clause. The court

found that the prayer was a school sponsored event because it was delivered over the schools PA

system. This could help Karen because it shows that the school cannot push religious beliefs on

her, this includes making her decorate her class for Christmas or even singing happy birthday

because it is against her religion and the school cannot force her to do anything.
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The first case that would help justify Mr. Ward’s decision would be Pierce v Sullivan

West Central School District (2004). In this court case the second court of appeals upheld a New

York statue allowing the released time from public schools for religious instructions. It would be

upheld if no public funds were spent and it involved no on-site religious instructions. This could

be beneficial to Bills case because it shows that the parents have every right to be upset and that

he is justified letting Ms. White go. It is ok if the students sing happy birthday and want their

class decorated as long as it does not have any school funds involved.

The final case that would be beneficial to Mr. Ward’s case is Wigg v Sioux Falls School

District (2004). In this court case a third grade teacher wanted to participate in a student held

religious club that was held after school. She was told that she was not allowed to attend the

event and took it to court. The court later ruled that she has the right to participate in the event

and it was ok for her to attend the event. Now you may be thinking that this would be in favor of

Ms. White but actually it would favor the school because it shows that if the teacher has the right

to participate in a religious event then the student’s parents have the same right. It also show

again if the classroom is decorated after school is over that it is ok for it to be decorated.

I believe that Karen White has every right not to participate in religious functions at

school. Because according the Engel v. Vitale (1962) the school does not have the right to a

religious event, prayer, or even the Pledge of Allegiance. She has this right because what Mr.

Ward wanted her to do is part of a school sponsored religious event and she has the right to

chose to do so or not.
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References

Engel v. Vitale, 370 U.S. 421 (1962)

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, 530 U.S. 290 (2000)

Wigg v. Sioux Falls School District, 967 (2003)

Pierce v. Sullivan West Central School District, 03-9292 (2004)