Question

In Santa Fe District v. Doe, the court ruled that student led prayer at a school football game failed the lemon test because it was “too entangled.” What does this mean?

Answer 1

To cause to become twisted together or caught in a snarl or entwining mass:

Answer 2

In this case, the question was whether student led prayer could be seen as an endorsement by the school of a particular religion. If this were the case, then students might feel pressured to comply with the prayer, and this would be equivalent to the school pushing religion unto the students.

The ruling declared that the prayer at the game was "too entangled." What this meant is that it was too difficult to separate the game from other school activities. The football game could be considered an extension of the school and therefore, should not endorse the practice of religion.