Lee v. Weisman
Citation and Court
505 U.S. 577 (1992) — Supreme Court of the United States
Facts
Robert E. Lee, a middle school principal in Providence, Rhode Island, invited a rabbi to deliver prayers at the school’s graduation ceremony and provided him with guidelines for composing “nonsectarian” prayers. Deborah Weisman attended the graduation and objected to the prayers. Her father sought to enjoin the practice as a violation of the Establishment Clause.
Issue
Whether officially sponsored, clergy-led prayers at public school graduation ceremonies violate the Establishment Clause.
Holding
Yes. Government-directed prayer at a public school graduation ceremony violates the Establishment Clause because students are effectively coerced to participate in a religious exercise.
Rule / Doctrine
Coercion test (psychological coercion): government action violates the Establishment Clause when it places students in the position of either participating in religious exercises or protesting them at a public school graduation — a psychologically coercive setting where attendance is a virtual necessity and dissent is costly. State-sponsored prayer is not saved by making it “nonsectarian” or “inclusive.”
Significance
Lee v. Weisman is the leading case barring prayer at public school graduation ceremonies and introduced the psychological coercion test into Establishment Clause analysis. It is often paired with Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe (2000) (banning student-led graduation and football prayer) and contrasted with Marsh v. Chambers (legislative prayer), showing the Court’s willingness to apply different standards depending on context.