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Constitutional Law Keyed to Choper
Mitchell v. Helms
Citation:
530 U.S. 793 (2000)Facts
Under Chapter 2, federal funds were distributed to state educational agencies (SEAs), which then allocated them to local educational agencies (LEAs). LEAs would purchase educational materials and equipment and lend them to schools, including private religious schools. The amount of aid was determined by student enrollment. The materials and equipment had to be “secular, neutral, and nonideological.” In Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, approximately 30% of Chapter 2 funds went to private schools, of which 41 participated in the program. Of these, 34 were Roman Catholic schools, 7 were otherwise religiously affiliated, and 5 were not religiously affiliated. The materials provided included library books, computers, software, and audiovisual equipment. Safeguards were in place requiring that the materials remain property of the LEA and be used only for secular purposes, though evidence suggested these safeguards were not always effective. Some religious books were mistakenly provided but were later recalled when discovered.
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