State Board of Education v. Board of Education

Per Curiam. This case involves a school prayer program instituted by the Board of Education of Netcong. The trial court held that the program violated the Church-State provision of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States and accordingly enjoined the Board from continuing its program. 108 N. J. Super. 564 (Ch. Div. 1970). We certified the Board’s appeal before it was heard in the Appellate Division. We find no meaningful difference between the program involved in this case and the programs which the United States Supreme Court held to violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment in Engel v. Vitale, 370 U. S. 421, 82 S. Ct. 1261, 8 L. Ed. 2d 601 (1962), and School District of Abington Twp. v. Schempp, 374 U. S. 203, 83 S. Ct. 1560, 10 L. ed. 2d 844 (1963). The judgment is therefore affirmed. For affirmance — Chief Justice Weinteaub and Justices Jacobs, Eeancis, Peoctoe, Hall, Schettino and HaneMAN — 7. For reversal — None.