Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice
Abstract
The note examines the 2004 French law banning conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, highlighting its roots in France's unique secularist tradition (laïcité) and its implications for religious freedom. It contrasts this approach with the U.S., where the First Amendment would likely prevent such a ban, emphasizing the importance of protecting religious liberty to safeguard broader societal freedoms. The analysis underscores the differing legal and cultural frameworks between France and the U.S. in balancing secularism and religious expression.
Disciplines
Comparative and Foreign Law | Education Law | Law
Recommended Citation
Christina A. Baker,
French Headscarves and the U.S. Constitution: Parents, Children, and Free Exercise of Religion,
13
Cardozo J. Equal Rts. & Soc. Just.
341
(2007).
Available at:
https://larc.cardozo.yu.edu/cardozoersj/vol13/iss2/5