The American Legion v. American Humanist Association and Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission V…

Summary

The Court held that the Bladensburg Peace Cross, a 94‑year‑old World War I memorial, does not violate the Establishment Clause because its purpose is secular, it has a long historical presence, and it does not coerce religion. The decision relied on a history‑and‑tradition analysis rather than the Lemon test. Justice Kavanaugh filed a separate concurrence emphasizing the abandonment of Lemon and warning against a broad presumption for new religious monuments.