ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti θɹˈiː, sˈɪvəl ɹˈaɪts ænd sˈoʊʃəl dʒˈʌstɪs ˈæktɪvˌɪsts ˈɛlən bɜːlˈɪnɚ ænd ˈæn stˈeɪtlɚ wɜː pˈɑːɹt əvə ɡɹˈuːp ʌv fˈɪfti pˈɛɹənts, stˈuːdənts ænd ˈʌðɚ kəmjˈuːnᵻɾi mˈɛmbɚz hˌuː fˈaɪld sˈuːt ɪnðə kˈɑːmən plˈiːz kˈoːɹt ʌv pˌɛnsɪlvˈeɪniə "tə pɹəhˈɪbɪt ˌɛmtˈiː. lˈɛbənˌɑːn skˈuːl dˈɪstɹɪkt fɹʌm ɪŋklˈuːdɪŋ pɹˈɛɹz ɪn ɪts kəmˈɛnsmənt ˈɛksɚsˌaɪzᵻz."
In 1973, civil rights and social justice activists Ellen Berliner and Anne Steytler were part of a group of fifty parents, students and other community members who filed suit in the Common Pleas Court of Pennsylvania "to prohibit Mt. Lebanon School District from including prayers in its commencement exercises."