Kennedy v. Bremerton School Dist.

Decided June 27, 2022. Neil M. Gorsuch delivered the opinion of the Court.

Docket 21-418 · 597 U.S. 507 (2022) · Cited 282 times

Holding

The Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protect an individual engaging in a personal religious observance from government reprisal; the Constitution neither mandates nor permits the government to suppress such religious expression.

The Court’s statement of the holding, from the opinion’s syllabus. The syllabus is prepared by the Reporter of Decisions and is not part of the opinion of the Court. Read the official opinion for authority.

How the Justices voted

Decided 6–3.

“Concurring” means agreeing with the outcome; any split shown is the Court’s judgment, not each Justice’s reasoning. The lineup is the syllabus’s disposition of who wrote and joined each opinion. Source: the opinion’s syllabus (supremecourt.gov).

Precedents cited

Supreme Court decisions this opinion relies on, ordered by how often it cites each. Cases in our collection link through; others are named.

• Lee v. Weisman · 505 U.S. 577 (1992)
• Garcetti v. Ceballos · 547 U.S. 410 (2006)
• Town of Greece v. Galloway · 572 U.S. 565 (2014)
• Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe · 530 U.S. 290 (2000)
• Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye, Inc. v. City of Hialeah · 508 U.S. 520 (1993)
• Lemon v. Kurtzman · 403 U.S. 602 (1971)
• Good News Club v. Milford Central School · 533 U.S. 98 (2001)
• Pickering v. Board of Ed. of Township High School Dist. 205, Will Cty. · 391 U.S. 563 (1968)
• Employment Div., Dept. of Human Resources of Ore. v. Smith · 494 U.S. 872 (1990)
• Zorach v. Clauson · 343 U.S. 306 (1952)
• Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District · 393 U.S. 503 (1969)
• Wallace v. Jaffree · 472 U.S. 38 (1985)
• Edwards v. Aguillard · 482 U.S. 578 (1987)
• Walz v. Tax Comm'n of City of New York · 397 U.S. 664 (1970)
• County of Allegheny v. American Civil Liberties Union · 492 U.S. 573 (1989)
• Engel v. Vitale · 370 U.S. 421 (1962)
• Van Orden v. Perry · 545 U.S. 677 (2005)
• Everson v. Board of Ed. of Ewing · 330 U.S. 1 (1947)
• Engquist v. Oregon Department of Agriculture · 553 U.S. 591 (2008)
• Cutter v. Wilkinson · 544 U.S. 709 (2005)
• Widmar v. Vincent · 454 U.S. 263 (1981)
• Capitol Square Review & Advisory Board v. Pinette · 515 U.S. 753 (1995)
• Board of Ed. of Westside Community Schools (Dist. 66) v. Mergens · 496 U.S. 226 (1990)
• Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri · 564 U.S. 379 (2011)
• Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. · 551 U.S. 587 (2007)
• Cantwell v. Connecticut · 310 U.S. 296 (1940)
• McGowan v. Maryland · 366 U.S. 420 (1961)
• Sherbert v. Verner · 374 U.S. 398 (1963)
• Rosenberger v. Rector & Visitors of University of Virginia · 515 U.S. 819 (1995)
• Keyishian v. Board of Regents of Univ. of State of NY · 385 U.S. 589 (1967)

Official text

Read the official opinion (PDF, supremecourt.gov)

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Source: Supreme Court of the United States, slip opinions (2022). Citation count from the Free Law Project’s CourtListener bulk data. Data last verified 2026-08-15. Informational only; verify against the primary source before relying. Not a consumer report (FCRA).