Legal Question in Constitutional Law in North Carolina
Myself and a colleague have debate this topic:
Debate 7�1st A. Freedom of Religion
Four volleyball players at Western filed suit against the state of North Carolina university system, WCU, the Athletic Department and Head Coach Val Higgins for allegedly requiring players to engage in a Christian prayer before each game; thus, violating the Establishment Clause. The Coach claims she had no role in the prayer; rather it was voluntary and coordinated by other interested team members and is protected under the Free Exercise Clause.
We are having a hard time finding any cases supporting prayer in school. we are the defendants, and we are changing the fact pattern and saying this was setup by the FCA. We need 4 case studys to support our debate. any help would be greatly appreciated.
2 Answers from Attorneys
An excellent resource for you is the Baptist Joint Committee website, http://www.bjcpa.org/. In the panel on the left, click on the "Public Schools" link.
The BJC is an authority on the free exercise/establishment clauses interplay. They get it right pretty much all the time.
Have fun.
Students are allowed to organize prayer sessions in public schools as long as they don't interfere with classes or other school functions. If what the coach says is true, then there is nothing legally wrong with the students' prayers.
Remember that the Constitution only limits what government entities can do. A public university is a government entity. A coach employed by a public university is acting as an agent of the state while he is doing his job. But university students are not agents of the state. Their actions are not attributable to the university or to the government.
Related Questions & Answers
Looking for something else?
10,200 active attorneys ready to answer your legal questions today.
Featured Attorneys
Earn additional revenue and grow your business.
