The nation's founders recognized the importance of keeping government out of religion and religion out of government and thus erected a wall of separation between church and state in the establishment clause of the First Amendment. They also guaranteed religious liberty in the First Amendment's free exercise clause. Together, the fundamental constitutional guarantees of church-state separation and free exercise of religion prohibit the government from either endorsing or intentionally burdening any religious practices or beliefs. Compliance with the separation of church and state must be vigorously enforced in the nation's public schools, where religious neutrality is essential due to the unique sensitivities of school children and the special nature of the public school setting.
Most children view their teachers and other school officials as important authority figures.
Children are highly susceptible to coercion, conformity and pressure both from adults and from their peers. These factors create a significant danger when religion is introduced into the public schools. Moreover, our student body is increasingly diverse. Schools must give special consideration to the fact that many school children belong to minority religions or are raised in non-religious environments. The nation's public schools must be hospitable to students from a variety of backgrounds - students of all faiths or no faith.