The First Amendment protects freedom of religion and speech, which is why students have the right to pray in school. However, they must do so without disrupting the educational process or coercing others. Students can meet on school grounds to pray before, at lunchtime, or after school as long as other similar groups are allowed to meet in a likewise manner and it doesn’t interfere with regular educational activities.
Schools may provide time for religious students to pray individually by incorporating a moment of silence into the school day. Students could use the time to pray, meditate, reflect, organize themselves or engage in any other type non-disruptive silent activity. The moment of silence must not be used to promote prayer and students must be allowed to use the time as they wish without discrimination.
Due to the June 2000 decision of Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, the U.S. Supreme Court decided organized school prayers cannot take place at public school games or other similar regular events. However, an individual student or athlete can pray by himself at school games, and a group of students or athletes can decide on their own to engage in prayer. However, public school officials can’t be involved in delivering the prayer.
Prayer at graduation remains a hot-button issue since almost all students participate in the ceremony and they often hold varying religious or non-religious beliefs. Prayer is sometimes tolerated at graduation when initiated by students, but there have been numerous court cases regarding prayer at graduation. Students who want to lead a prayer at graduation usually ask permission of their school board beforehand and are often denied for constitutional reasons. Students and parents often find it objectionable to sit through prayers of those who hold beliefs different than their own.