West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette

Q: What court decided Barnette?

West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1943.

Q: What is the citation for Barnette?

The official citation for West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette is 319 U.S. 624.

Q: Who won Barnette?

The outcome in West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette was: Pro-Religion. States cannot compel students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or salute the flag when doing so violates their religious beliefs.

Q: What legal issues are involved in Barnette?

West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette involves the following religious liberty issues: Education, Free Exercise.

States cannot compel students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or salute the flag when doing so violates their religious beliefs.

ReligiousLiberty.TV

February 26, 2026

0 min read

Citation: 319 U.S. 624 Year: 1943 Court: U.S. Supreme Court Outcome: Pro-Religion

Education Free Exercise

Holding: States cannot compel students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or salute the flag when doing so violates their religious beliefs.

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West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (319 U.S. 624) is a Education case decided by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1943. The court held that states cannot compel students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance or salute the flag when doing so violates their religious beliefs. The case resulted in a Pro-Religion outcome.

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