June 3, 1940: The Supreme Court rules that public schools may compel a flag salute

Tuesday 3 June 2008

The Supreme Court ruled June 3, 1940, in the case of Minersville School District v. Gobitis that public schools in Minersville, Penn., may legally require students to participate in a flag salute. The case arose after a school expelled a 12-year-old student and her younger brother for refusing to participate in the daily Pledge of Allegiance. The court overruled objections from Jehovah’s Witnesses, who believed that a mandatory flag salute was an infringement on their faith. The Court reversed the ruling three years later after the decision was made that the government could not force students to participate in rituals that may violate their religious beliefs.