Wisconsin V. Yoder Case Study
Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972) In the year 1971, two parents whose names were Jonas Yoder and Wallace Miller who were of the Old Order Amish religion and one parent whose name was Adin Yutzy who was of the member of the Conservative Amish Mennonite Church were accused under a Wisconsin law that stated all students under sixteen should go to school. The Parents all believed it was against their religious beliefs for their children to go to high school and they refused to send their children to school.
The Supreme Court is deciding if this Wisconsin law went against the parents right and if it was unconstitutional based on the 1st amendment to criminalize parents if they did not want to send their children to school based on religious
reasons. This case started off at the circuit court and the parent were fined $5 and the court ruled in favor of the school district. It was than appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of the families and the State of Wisconsin then appealed to The Supreme Court then decided to hear the case.
In the year 1972, The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision ruled with the Amish parents saying that secondary high school education was "in sharp conflict with the fundamental mode of life mandated by the Amish religion".
The Supreme Court ruled this way because the free exercise clause in the first amendment which states citizens have the right to exercise their religion as long as it does not disturb public safety. The majority opinion of the court by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger they agreed that secondary high school education was "in sharp conflict with the fundamental mode of life mandated by the Amish religion" (Wisconsin v. Yoder. (n.d.).
There was a case a few years back also brought up that affected this decision. The case was known as the Zorach v Clauson case. This supreme court decision ruled students with guardian request to be released from school due to religious reasons. Students who were of the Jewish religion requested they leave an hour a week of school and the school district allowed this and it was not unconstitutional because first it did not require extra funding and it did not take place at the school.
The Supreme Court is deciding if this Wisconsin law went against the parents right and if it was unconstitutional based on the 1st amendment to criminalize parents if they did not want to send their children to school based on religious
reasons. This case started off at the circuit court and the parent were fined $5 and the court ruled in favor of the school district. It was than appealed to the Wisconsin Supreme Court. The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled in favor of the families and the State of Wisconsin then appealed to The Supreme Court then decided to hear the case.
In the year 1972, The Supreme Court in a unanimous decision ruled with the Amish parents saying that secondary high school education was "in sharp conflict with the fundamental mode of life mandated by the Amish religion".
The Supreme Court ruled this way because the free exercise clause in the first amendment which states citizens have the right to exercise their religion as long as it does not disturb public safety. The majority opinion of the court by Chief Justice Warren E. Burger they agreed that secondary high school education was "in sharp conflict with the fundamental mode of life mandated by the Amish religion" (Wisconsin v. Yoder. (n.d.).
There was a case a few years back also brought up that affected this decision. The case was known as the Zorach v Clauson case. This supreme court decision ruled students with guardian request to be released from school due to religious reasons. Students who were of the Jewish religion requested they leave an hour a week of school and the school district allowed this and it was not unconstitutional because first it did not require extra funding and it did not take place at the school.