Many Americans are familiar with the First Amendment, but its application to prayer and religious activities in public schools is often misunderstood. Religious beliefs are increasingly diverse in the United States. Therefore, it seems imperative that school personnel are aware of the law and sensitive to an array of religious practices. We…

Conflicting opinions between two circuit court decisions set the stage for another consideration of school officials' discretion in deciding whether the Equal Access Act would apply to their schools based on the presence or absence of a limited open forum. (MLF)

Discusses the issue of school prayer and explains why prayer in any organized, public, and ongoing form is unworkable in what the author views as a post-Christian nation. The article also explores the insufficiency of the 1984 Equal Access Act that requires schools to grant religious student groups the same privileges as nonreligious groups. (GR)

Contends that a circuit court ruling prohibiting a student religious group from holding meetings in a public secondary school erodes the intent of the Equal Access Act to provide access for students wishing to exercise religious speech. (MLF)

Beyond no-establishment and free-exercise principles, widespread agreement now exists on many thorny church-state questions: school prayer, teaching about religion, Bible clubs, equal access, excusals, distribution of religious literature, religious holidays, creationism, released time, and character education. One issue, speaker versus audience…

These guidelines, addressing the extent to which religious expression and activity are permitted in public schools, were originally issued in 1995. Changes have been made in the sections on religious excusals and student garb to reflect the Supreme Court decision in "Boerne v. Flores" declaring the Religious Freedom Restoration Act…

Presents court briefs for three separate constitutional issues: the individual right to die as tested in the "Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health" case; constitutional rights and drunk driving; and student religious clubs' right to meet at public schools in accordance with the Equal Access Act of 1984. Analyzes court opinions and…