How did Wisconsin violate the free exercise clause in Wisconsin V Yoder?
In Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), the Supreme Court ruled that Wisconsin's compulsory education law violated the free exercise clause of the First Amendment. The case involved the parents of Amish children who refused to send their children to public school after eighth grade, as it conflicted with their religious beliefs and way of life.
The Court determined that Wisconsin's law effectively violated the Amish parents' right to freely exercise their religion. The State argued that universal education is necessary for the welfare of its citizens and that requiring Amish children to attend school until the age of 16 was necessary for their integration into society.
However, the Court found that the additional two years of education did not significantly contribute to the state's goal of promoting social integration or the Amish students' ability to become self-reliant citizens. Furthermore, it recognized that the Amish community had a long-standing, well-established religious practice of ending formal education after eighth grade in order to focus on vocational training and traditional religious values.
By forcing the Amish students to attend high school despite their religious objections, the State of Wisconsin contradicted their free exercise of religion, thus violating the First Amendment.