Which case banned devotional Bible readings in public schools?

• A. Engle v. Vitale (1962)
• B. Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
• C. Edwards v. Aguillard (1987)
• D. Abington School District v. Schempp (1963)

Answer: (D)

The key idea is that government action in public schools cannot advance or sponsor religious practice. In Abington School District v. Schempp (1963), the Supreme Court struck down a state law that required devotional Bible readings and the Lord’s Prayer as part of the school day. The Court held that forcing students to participate in religious exercises amounts to government endorsement of religion and coerces participation, which the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause forbids. This case clarifies that public schools must remain neutral on religion and cannot promote devotional religious activities, even if participation is voluntary. It follows the earlier Engel v. Vitale decision, which barred school-sponsored prayers, and it helps define the boundaries of religious activity in public education. The other listed cases address different religious questions in schools—such as prayer in general, the teaching of creationism, or the standards for evaluating Establishment Clause challenges—so they do not ban devotional Bible readings in the same way.