From: Joe.Francis@dartmouth.edu (Joe Francis)
Newsgroups: alt.atheism
Subject: NATHAN BISHOP MIDDLE SCHOOL v. DANIEL WEISMAN
Date: 23 Jul 92 02:07:05 GMT
 <10066@scott.ed.ac.uk> <9915@vice.ICO.TEK.COM> 
 <1992Jul8.025737.12823@cco.caltech.edu> 
 <RLK.92Jul8133215@underprize.think.com> 
 <1992Jul8.184024.21941@cco.caltech.edu> <R>  
 <1992Jul21.021634.17496@digibdc
Organization: Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

In article <1992Jul21.021634.17496@digibd.com>
merlyn@digibd.com (Merlyn LeRoy) writes:

> The parties to the recent SC decision were Jews who objected to the
> school's graduation prayers (which were watered down to Generic God [TM]
> after the Jewish familty objected after their older daughter's graduation
> had the entire gathering pray to (who was to them) a false messiah).
> 
> No matter how you slice it, to the Jewish family, they were part of a
> religious ceremony to a false god.  I don't think public institutions
> should force people to choose between celebrating a false god vs.
> not attending at all.

While I agree wholeheartedly with your conclusions, it is not at all
clear that the family regarded the benediction delivered at their
second daughter's middle school graduation as being offered to a "false
god".  They were offered by a Rabbi.  Of course, some or all of the
family members may be non-religious, and think any god a false one.  If
they are religious , however, it is unlikely that they would think the
Rabbi was addressing a different god than theirs.

The Weisman's, by the way, received hate mail and threatening phone
calls after filing suit.

Below is the history of events (prior to the suit) as recounted by
Justice Kennedy in his opinion (which was the opinion of the Court, in
a 5-4 split):

-------------------------------------------------------------------

        Deborah Weisman graduated from Nathan Bishop Middle
       School, a public school in Providence, at a formal ceremony
       in June 1989.  She was about 14 years old.  For many years
       it has been the policy of the Providence School Committee
       and the Superintendent of Schools to permit principals to
       invite members of the clergy to give invocations and
       benedictions at middle school and high school graduations.
       Many, but not all, of the principals elected to include
       prayers as part of the graduation ceremonies.  Acting for
       himself and his daughter, Deborah's father, Daniel Weis-
       man, objected to any prayers at Deborah's middle school
       graduation, but to no avail.  The school principal, petitioner
       Robert E. Lee, invited a rabbi to deliver prayers at the
       graduation exercises for Deborah's class.  Rabbi Leslie
       Gutterman, of the Temple Beth El in Providence, accepted.
         It has been the custom of Providence school officials to
       provide invited clergy with a pamphlet entitled ``Guidelines
       for Civic Occasions,'' prepared by the National Conference
       of Christians and Jews.  The Guidelines recommend that
       public prayers at nonsectarian civic ceremonies be composed
       with ``inclusiveness and sensitivity,'' though they acknowl-
       edge that ``[p]rayer of any kind may be inappropriate on
       some civic occasions.''  App. 20-21.  The principal gave
       Rabbi Gutterman the pamphlet before the graduation and
       advised him the invocation and benediction should be
       nonsectarian.  Agreed Statement of Facts -17, id., at 13.
         Rabbi Gutterman's prayers were as follows:

                             ``INVOCATION
             ``God of the Free, Hope of the Brave:
             ``For the legacy of America where diversity is cele-
           brated and the rights of minorities are protected, we
           thank You.  May these young men and women grow up
           to enrich it.
             ``For the liberty of America, we thank You.  May
           these new graduates grow up to guard it.
             ``For the political process of America in which all its
           citizens may participate, for its court system where all
           may seek justice we thank You.  May those we honor
           this morning always turn to it in trust.
             ``For the destiny of America we thank You.  May the
           graduates of Nathan Bishop Middle School so live that
           they might help to share it.
             ``May our aspirations for our country and for these
           young people, who are our hope for the future, be richly
           fulfilled.
                                AMEN''

                             ``BENEDICTION
             ``O God, we are grateful to You for having endowed
           us with the capacity for learning which we have
           celebrated on this joyous commencement.
             ``Happy families give thanks for seeing their children
           achieve an important milestone.  Send Your blessings
           upon the teachers and administrators who helped
           prepare them.
             ``The graduates now need strength and guidance for
           the future, help them to understand that we are not
           complete with academic knowledge alone.  We must
           each strive to fulfill what You require of us all:  To do
           justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly.
             ``We give thanks to You, Lord, for keeping us alive,
           sustaining us and allowing us to reach this special,
           happy occasion.
                                AMEN''
       Id., at 22-23.
         The record in this case is sparse in many respects, and
       we are unfamiliar with any fixed custom or practice at
       middle school graduations, referred to by the school district
       as ``promotional exercises.''  We are not so constrained with
       reference to high schools, however.  High school graduations
       are such an integral part of American cultural life that we
       can with confidence describe their customary features,
       confirmed by aspects of the record and by the parties'
       representations at oral argument.  In the Providence school
       system, most high school graduation ceremonies are
       conducted away from the school, while most middle school
       ceremonies are held on school premises.  Classical High
       School, which Deborah now attends, has conducted its
       graduation ceremonies on school premises.  Agreed State-
       ment of Facts -37, id., at 17.  The parties stipulate that
       attendance at graduation ceremonies is voluntary.  Agreed
       Statement of Facts -41, id., at 18.  The graduating students
       enter as a group in a processional, subject to the direction
       of teachers and school officials, and sit together, apart from
       their families.  We assume the clergy's participation in any
       high school graduation exercise would be about what it was
       at Deborah's middle school ceremony.  There the students
       stood for the Pledge of Allegiance and remained standing
       during the Rabbi's prayers.  Tr. of Oral Arg. 38.  Even on
       the assumption that there was a respectful moment of
       silence both before and after the prayers, the Rabbi's two
       presentations must not have extended much beyond a
       minute each, if that.  We do not know whether he remained
       on stage during the whole ceremony, or whether the
       students received individual diplomas on stage, or if he
       helped to congratulate them.
         The school board (and the United States, which supports
       it as amicus curiae) argued that these short prayers and
       others like them at graduation exercises are of profound
       meaning to many students and parents throughout this
       country who consider that due respect and acknowledge-
       ment for divine guidance and for the deepest spiritual
       aspirations of our people ought to be expressed at an event
       as important in life as a graduation.  We assume this to be
       so in addressing the difficult case now before us, for the
       significance of the prayers lies also at the heart of Daniel
       and Deborah Weisman's case.