MSU Law Professor’s Article on Religion in Public Schools Captures Attention of Over 25K Readers

Providing a balanced commentary about a recent Louisiana law requiring public schools to display “In God We Trust” in every public-school classroom, MSU Law Professor Frank S. Ravitch examines possible First Amendment conflicts. His article, published by “The Conversation” on October 27, has been read more than 25 thousand times.

Professor Ravitch is the Walter H. Stowers Chair in Law & Religion at MSU College of Law. His expertise on the subject is evidenced by his years of research and extensive writings on the intersection of religion and public schools.

The subject of his article is a Louisiana law requiring the national motto to be prominently displayed and instructing teachers to teach students about “patriotic customs.” Professor Ravitch observes that “there has been a legal shift from the long-standing doctrine that endorsement of religion in public schools violates the First Amendment’s establishment clause.” The court’s decision in the 2022 Kennedy v. Bremerton School District case “overturned more than 60 years of precedent when it ruled…postgame prayer did not violate the establishment clause.” Read Professor Ravitch’s article in its entirety.