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Constitutional Law Keyed to Choper
Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe
Citation:
530 U.S. 290 (2000)Facts
The Santa Fe Independent School District had a long-standing practice of student-led prayers at school events, including football games. After being sued for Establishment Clause violations, the district adopted a series of policies, culminating in the “October policy” that allowed students to vote on whether to have a student speaker before football games and to elect that speaker. The policy stated that the purpose was “to solemnize the event, to promote good sportsmanship and student safety, and to establish the appropriate environment for competition.” The elected student could choose what message to deliver, consistent with these purposes. The policy evolved from an earlier version titled “Prayer at Football Games” and replaced the previous position of “Student Chaplain.” The district maintained that this new policy created a neutral, hands-off approach that transformed any religious speech into private student speech rather than government-endorsed speech.
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