Although some students brought their Bibles and used this time for silent prayer, the court found that the statute passed the Lemon test because the legislative purpose of the act was not religious. Rather, the court said that the act's purpose was merely to provide students with a moment of quiet reflection at the beginning of each day. Nor may a school official ask a team member or any other student to initiate or lead a prayer before, during or after a public or school-sponsored athletic activity or event. It is also unconstitutional for a member of the clergy to offer prayers before or after public school athletic activities or events. Voluntary prayer presented and led by students may be constitutional, provided that it is not coercive in any way.
Prayers delivered by clergy at official public school graduation ceremonies are unconstitutional.
The fact that a prayer is nondenominational or voluntary does not render it constitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court has not specifically ruled on whether student-initiated nonsectarian graduation prayer is constitutional, and the Federal courts disagree on the issue. Some courts have upheld school policies allowing students to decide whether a class member may deliver a prayer at graduation. 5 Other courts have held that such policies violate the establishment clause. In Lee v. Weisman , the Supreme Court expressed particular concern that students could be coerced, through pressure from their peers and others, into praying during their graduation ceremony.