HOME > First Amendment Library > Case   Stone v. Graham (1980)  [Findlaw] Secondary Link Stone v. Graham  [Legal Information Institute] Decided 11/17/1980 Supreme Court Vote 5-4 Note Petition for rehearing Denied January 12, 1981 Supreme Court Ruling State posting law ruled violative of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment as applied to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment.   Issue Whether a state requiring the posting of a copy of the Ten Commandments, purchased with private contributions, on the wall of each public classroom in the state violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.   Case Summary & Additional Resources Majority Opinion Per Curiam Dissenting Opinion Rehnquist, J., / Burger, C.J. & Blackmun, J. (they would grant certiorari and give this case plenary consideration); Stewart, J. (dissents from the Court's summary reversal of the courts of Kentucky) Lower Court Kentucky Supreme Court Lower Court Ruling first amend. claim denied News Fred Barbash, "Law on Ten Commandments Rejected; Supreme Court Rejects Law On Posting Commandments," Washington Post, November 18, 1980, A-1 Linda Greenhouse, "Law Putting 10 Commandments in Schools Is Overturned; Desirability Not Considered Quaker,Jew and Nonbeliever Immunity Ruling Open Trials Adoptive Father," NYT, November 18, 1980, A-18 Other Chemerinsky, Erwin, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (2nd ed, 2002), pp. 1160, 1177 First Amendment Schools summary of case Tribe, Laurence, AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL LAW (2nd ed., 1988), pp. 1207, 09, 13, 88, 94 Witte, Jr., John, RELIGION & THE AMERICAN CONSTITUTIONAL EXPERIMENT (2000), pp. 168-169  SEARCH MORE About this site About the First Amendment About the First Amendment Center How to contribute Video/RSS/podcasts First Amendment programs State of the First Amendment reports Religious liberty in public schools First Reports Supreme Court Columnists Experts First Amendment publications 1 for All First Amendment Center history Glossary Freedom Sings™ Events Congressional Research Service reports Guest editorials The First Amendment Library Lesson plans freedomforum.org Newseum Contact us Privacy statement Related links