Bender v. Williamsport Area School District
475 U.S. 534 · Decided March 25, 1986 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Bender v. Williamsport Area School District was decided on March 25, 1986 by a vote of 5–4. The Court vacated the lower court's decision and remanded the case. Justice John Paul Stevens wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Establishment of religion” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 475 U.S. 534 · 106 S. Ct. 1326 · 89 L. Ed. 2d 501 · 1986 U.S. LEXIS 35
- Docket number
- 84-773
- Decided
- March 25, 1986
- Argued
- October 15, 1985
- Court era
- Burger Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Vacated and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- John Paul Stevens
- Opinion assigned by
- William J. Brennan Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Establishment of religion
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Liberal what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice William J. Brennan Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Byron R. White | Dissent | |
| Justice Thurgood Marshall | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice Warren E. Burger | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Harry A. Blackmun | Majority | |
| Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr. | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice William H. Rehnquist | Dissent | |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Majority |
Full case caption
Bender et al. v. Williamsport Area School District et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 1985-054, docket 1985-054-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Establishment of religion”
- Estate of Thornton v. Caldor, Inc.Law held unconstitutional
- Board of Trustees of the Village of Scarsdale v. Kathleen S. McCreary
- Corporation of the Presiding Bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints v. Amos
- Lynch v. Donnelly
- Bowen v. Kendrick
- Marsh v. Chambers
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind
- School District of the City of Grand Rapids v. Ball
- Aguilar v. FeltonLaw held unconstitutional
- Wallace v. JaffreeLaw held unconstitutional
- Edwards v. AguillardLaw held unconstitutional
- Mueller v. Allen
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind
- Pacific Gas & Electric Co. v. Public Utilities Commission of CaliforniaLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Renton v. Playtime Theatres, Inc.
- Goldman v. Weinberger
- Philadelphia Newspapers, Inc. v. HeppsLaw held unconstitutional
- New York v. P.J. Video, Inc.
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error