Is it constitutional for students to engage in voluntary prayer in public school?
Short answer: Yes, provided that they are not and do not appear to be doing so with official school endorsement or coercing other students to listen or participate. Example: A group of students may say a benediction before or grace after a meal in the school cafeteria, so long as it is done in a nondisruptive manner. Explanation: Students have a right-subject to reasonable and nondiscriminatory time, place, and manner regulations-to pray while on school grounds. For instance, students may quietly say a prayer in the classroom before taking a test or say grace over a meal in the school cafeteria.1 However, if teachers or other school officials were to promote or give the appearance of promoting such religious expression by students (by participating in them, for instance), that would amount to unconstitutional state endorsement of religion, a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. II. Student-Initiated Vocal Prayer in the Classroom May students initiate vocal pray
