The Alabama School Prayer Case: Chandler v. Siegelman (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
June 25, 2001 |
| Report Number |
98-523 |
| Authors |
David M. Ackerman, American Law Division |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
In Chandler v. James in 1997 a federal district court in Alabama held a statute
authorizing "non-sectarian, non-proselytizing, student-initiated voluntary prayer" at all public school
events to violate
the establishment of religion clause of the First Amendment. To enforce that ruling, Judge DeMent
issued an injunction barring the enforcement of the statute and enjoining school officials in DeKalb
County, Alabama, from fostering and engaging in a variety of evangelical activities in the schools.
That decision and injunction became the subject of intense political controversy in Alabama and
elsewhere. Governor James pursued appeals to both the Supreme Court and the Eleventh Circuit
contending that the decision and the injunction ought to be vacated on the grounds the establishment
clause has no applicability to the states. Both courts denied the Governor's petition. But in a
separate appeal by the state Attorney General, the Eleventh Circuit agreed that the injunction's
prohibition barring school officials from permitting any student-initiated vocal prayer or devotional
speech at school sponsored events violated the students' free speech and free exercise of religion
rights. The appellate court upheld, however, the district court's appointment of a monitor to oversee
implementation of the injunction. Nonetheless, the court vacated the district court's injunction and
remanded it for rewriting in light of the appellate decision. The Supreme Court subsequently vacated
this decision for reconsideration in light of its ruling in Santa Fe Independent School District
v. Doe.
But in Chandler v. Siegelman the Eleventh Circuit reaffirmed its previous
decision; and on June 18,
2001, the Supreme Court refused to review that reaffirmation. This report will no longer be updated.
