Citizens to Advance Public Education v. State Superintendent of Public Instruction

These appeals arose from a single action instituted in Ingham County Circuit Court by the plaintiffs to enjoin the three defendant-appellant schools from operating shared time secular educational programs. These programs are funded, in part, by state school appropriations. The trial court granted plaintiffs’ motion for a summary judgment and entered an order enjoining the operation of the programs. The trial judge concluded that the programs constituted an establishment of religion contrary to the First Amendment to the United States Constitution and to art 8, § 2 of the Michigan Constitution…