A California atheist urges the Supreme Court to find that a school district violates the U.S. Constitution when it requires public school teachers to lead grade school students in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag. Because the pledge includes the phrase "under God," Michael Newdow argues that teachers, who are public employees, are stating that God exists, which he claims is a government endorsement of religion.
- A ruling in favor of the school district would permit public schools to continue leading students in the pledge, though the court could rule on very narrow procedural grounds and find that Newdow had no legal right to bring the case in the first place, because his daughter is said to have no objection to reciting the pledge.
- A ruling in Newdow's favor would likely block school districts nationwide from requiring teachers to lead students in daily recitations of the pledge. However, Newdow is not challenging the pledge itself, so a ruling in his favor would not require any change in the wording of the pledge.
