Wisconsin v. Yoder

In Wisconsin v. Yoder, 406 U.S. 205 (1972), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Amish had a right under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to violate the state's compulsory education laws. Chief Justice Warren Burger wrote, "The history and culture of Western civilization reflect a strong tradition of parental concern for the nurture and upbringing of their children. This primary role of the parents in the upbringing of their children is now established beyond debate as an enduring American tradition." Id. at 232.