Constitution Day 2025
Constitutional Rights of Parents and Children
One hundred years ago, in Pierce v. Society of Sisters, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that a state law prohibiting children from attending private schools infringed the rights of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children. "The fundamental theory of liberty upon which all governments in this Union repose excludes any general power of the state to standardize its children by forcing them to accept instruction from public teachers only. The child is not the mere creature of the state; those who nurture him and direct his destiny have the right, coupled with the high duty, to recognize and prepare him for additional obligations." Pierce v. Society of Sisters (1925)
On Constitution Day, faculty experts will discuss the current status of constitutional rights of parents and of children--in the educational context and beyond--and preview conflicts on the horizon. We’ll give special attention to recent court rulings on the right to opt out of activities in public schools that conflict with religious beliefs and minors’ access to gender-affirming medical treatment.
Featured Speakers
Jason Mazzone
Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Professor of Law
Bill Watson
Assistant Professor of Law
Robin Fretwell Wilson
Mildred Van Voorhis Jones Chair in Law
Free and open to the public. A limited number of boxed lunches available for attendees.