USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -On May 15, 1972, the case was argued before the U.S. Supreme Court; Justices William Rehnquist and Lewis F. Powell, Jr., did not participate in the consideration or decision.

Detailed explanation-2: -Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972) Under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment, a state law requiring that children attend school past eighth grade violates the parents’ constitutional right to direct the religious upbringing of their children.

Detailed explanation-3: -Why it matters: The Supreme Court’s decision in this case established the precedent that an individual’s right to exercise their religious beliefs under the First Amendment takes priority over the state’s interests in compulsory education.

Detailed explanation-4: -In Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Court prioritized free exercise of religion over the state interest in an educated populace. The Court ruled that the individual liberty to worship freely outweighed the state’s interest in forcing students to attend school.

Detailed explanation-5: -* The respondent, the state of Wisconsin, argued that the state had a legitimate interest in compelling children to attend school and that this outweighed the interference with religious freedom.