Town of Greece, New York, Petitioner v. Susan Galloway

Summary

The Court held that the Town of Greece’s practice of opening monthly board meetings with prayer does not violate the Establishment Clause. Relying on Marsh v. Chambers and historical tradition, the Court concluded that legislative prayer need not be nonsectarian and did not unconstitutionally coerce nonadherents in this context. Justice Kagan, dissenting, argued the practice violated the constitutional norm of religious equality by delivering predominantly sectarian prayer directly to citizens in a participatory forum.