ans ▁continued ▁their ▁lit ig ation ▁after ▁the ▁gradu ation ▁and ▁won ▁a ▁victory ▁at ▁the ▁First ▁Circ uit ▁Court ▁of ▁App e als . ▁The ▁school ▁district ▁appe aled ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Supreme ▁Court , ▁arg uing ▁that ▁the ▁prayer ▁was ▁non sect arian ▁and ▁was ▁doub ly ▁volunt ary : ▁Deb or ah ▁was ▁free ▁not ▁to ▁stand ▁for ▁the ▁prayer ▁and ▁because ▁participation ▁in ▁the ▁ceremony ▁itself ▁was ▁not ▁required . ▁Arg uments ▁were ▁heard ▁on ▁November ▁ 6 , ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁Justice ▁Anthony ▁Kennedy ▁had ▁been ▁critical ▁of ▁the ▁Court ' s ▁dec isions ▁on ▁school ▁prayer , ▁and ▁many ▁court ▁watch ers ▁thought ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁provide ▁the ▁cru cial ▁fifth ▁vote ▁to ▁reverse ▁the ▁lower ▁court ' s ▁r uling ▁and ▁deal ▁a ▁major ▁blow ▁to ▁the ▁tw in ▁separation ist ▁pill ars ▁of ▁Engel ▁and ▁Ab ington . Dec ision ▁The ▁ 5 – 4 ▁decision ▁was ▁announced ▁on ▁June ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 1 9 9 2 . ▁It ▁was ▁somewhat ▁surprising ▁as ▁a ▁victory ▁for ▁the ▁We ism ans ▁and ▁a ▁defeat ▁for ▁the ▁school ▁district . ▁Justice ▁Kennedy ▁wrote ▁the ▁majority ▁opinion , ▁which ▁maintained ▁previous ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁preced ents ▁sharp ly ▁limit ing ▁the ▁place ▁of ▁religion ▁within ▁the ▁nation ' s ▁public ▁schools — far ▁from ▁joining ▁those ▁who ▁fav ored ▁cur tail ing ▁restrictions ▁on ▁school ▁pray ers . ▁The ▁Black mun ▁papers ▁reve al ▁that ▁Kennedy ▁switched ▁his ▁vote ▁during ▁the