June 14, 1943: The Supreme Court rules that the First Amendment protects students from pledging allegiance

Saturday 14 June 2008

On June 14, 1943, the Supreme Court ruling in the case of West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette protected students from being forced to salute the flag or recite the Pledge of Allegiance in schools. This outcome overruled the decision in the case of Minersville School District v. Gobitis, which held that Jehovah’s Witnesses could be forced against their will to salute the flag. The Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia was a major victory for the Jehovah’s Witnesses, many of whom had been victims of threats and even violence after the Gobitis trial.