Question

A high school held a graduation ceremony. Attendance at the ceremony is voluntary. The principal of the school is a good friend and follower of a local minister and he convinced the minister to attend the ceremony, say an opening prayer, and congratulate the students for their achievement. The principal instructed the minister to make sure that her opening prayer is nonsectarian, just a general invocation of blessings. The principal even provided the minister with a sample prayer that he believed would pass First Amendment scrutiny. A student who was raised in an atheist home saw the schedule and filed an action to enjoin the school from including the prayer. Should the court grant the injunction

Answer 1

Yes, because the prayer violates the Establishment Clause.

Step-by-step explanation:

This is because the Establishment Clause forbids government action regarding the establishment of any religion.

In this case, any form of prayer, whether sectarian or non-sectarian are considered to be invalid as establishments of religion. This is also applicable to public school officials from having chaplains or ministers deliver invocation and benediction prayers at graduation ceremonies.