▁p ey ote . ▁ ▁In ▁Smith , ▁Justice ▁Anton in ▁S cal ia ▁had ▁even ▁c ited ▁Judge ▁Sp ell man ' s ▁opinion ▁as ▁authority , ▁which ▁the ▁city ▁highlight ed ▁in ▁their ▁appe als ▁brief . ▁ ▁The ▁Court ▁in ▁Wisconsin ▁v . ▁Y oder ▁( 1 9 7 2 ) ▁had ▁explicitly ▁provided ▁Am ish ▁parents ▁a ▁religious ▁exem ption ▁from ▁mand atory ▁school ▁attend ance ▁under ▁the ▁Free ▁Ex erc ise ▁Cla use . ▁ ▁However , ▁in ▁the ▁years ▁since , ▁free - ex erc ise ▁claim ants ▁had ▁lost ▁every ▁case ▁before ▁the ▁Court , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁a ▁line ▁of ▁employ ment ▁dec isions ▁cases ▁terminated ▁by ▁Smith . ▁ ▁The ▁Church ' s ▁pet ition ▁for ▁cert ior ari ▁from ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁was ▁granted , ▁with ▁Douglas ▁L ay cock ▁appearing ▁for ▁the ▁Church ▁during ▁or al ▁arguments ▁on ▁November ▁ 4 , ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁ ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁Op in ion ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁On ▁June ▁ 1 1 , ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁the ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁un anim ously ▁revers ed . ▁ ▁Justice ▁Anthony ▁Kennedy , ▁in ▁an ▁Op in ion ▁of ▁the ▁Court ▁joined ▁in ▁parts ▁by ▁Chief ▁Justice ▁William ▁Re hn qu ist , ▁and ▁Just ices ▁By ron ▁White , ▁John ▁Paul ▁Stevens , ▁Anton in ▁S cal ia , ▁David ▁S outer , ▁and ▁Clar ence ▁Thomas ▁concluded ▁that ▁the ▁city ' s ▁ordin ances ▁viol