Susan Tave Zelman v. Doris Simmons-Harris
536 U.S. 639 · Decided June 27, 2002 · 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
Susan Tave Zelman v. Doris Simmons-Harris was decided on June 27, 2002 by a vote of 5–4. The Court reversed the lower court's decision. Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)” in the First Amendment area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 536 U.S. 639 · 122 S. Ct. 2460 · 153 L. Ed. 2d 604 · 2002 U.S. LEXIS 4885
- Docket number
- 00-1751
- Decided
- June 27, 2002
- Argued
- February 20, 2002
- Court era
- Rehnquist Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- William H. Rehnquist
- Opinion assigned by
- William H. Rehnquist
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)
- Issue area
- First Amendment
- Legal provision
- First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Type of law
- Constitutional amendment
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sandra Day O'Connor | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice David H. Souter | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Susan Tave Zelman, Superintendent of Public Instruction of Ohio, et al. v. Doris Simmons-Harris et al.
SCDB identifiers: case 2001-080, docket 2001-080-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Parochiaid (aid to religious schools)”
- Gary Locke v. Joshua Davey
- Guy Mitchell v. Mary L. HelmsAltered precedent
- Rachel Agostini v. Betty-Louise FeltonAltered precedent
- Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Louis GrumetLaw held unconstitutional
- Larry Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District
- Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools, Etc. v. Bridget C. Mergens
Cases on the same legal provision: First Amendment (establishment of religion)
- Santa Fe Independent School District v. Jane Doe
- Thomas Van Orden v. Rick Perry
- McCreary County v. American Civil Liberties Union of KentuckyLaw held unconstitutional
- Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board v. Vincent J. Pinette
- Ronald W. Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
- Ken L. Salazar v. Frank Buono
Same Term, same area (First Amendment)
- Caren Cronk Thomas and Windy City Hemp Development Board v. Chicago Park District
- John D. Ashcroft v. the Free Speech CoalitionLaw held unconstitutional
- Tommy G. Thompson v. Western States Medical CenterLaw held unconstitutional
- City of Los Angeles v. Alameda Books, Inc.
- John Ashcroft v. American Civil Liberties Union
- Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. v. Village of StrattonLaw held unconstitutional
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