In 1935, 12-year-old Lillian Gobitas and her little brother William were kicked out of their Pennsylvania public school — not for misbehaving, but for quietly refusing to salute the flag, which they believed went against their Jehovah’s Witness faith. Their dad sued, arguing the school had violated their right to religious freedom. But in a sweeping decision, the Supreme Court sided with the school, saying national unity outweighed First Amendment protections. The ruling sparked a wave of violence against Jehovah’s Witnesses across the country, and fueled criticism the Court had abandoned core constitutional rights.

"Crimes of the Centuries" is a podcast from Grab Bag Collab exploring forgotten crimes from times past that made a mark and helped change history. You can get early and ad-free episodes on the Grab Bag Patreon page.

DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE CRIMES OF THE CENTURIES BOOK! Order today at www.centuriespod.com/book (https://www.centuriespod.com/book)!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @centuriespod

Episode Sponsors:

Home Chef. For a limited time, Home Chef is offering my listeners FIFTY PERCENT OFF and free shipping for your first box PLUS free dessert for life! Go to Homechef.com/COTC.

Cornbread Hemp. Right now, Crimes Of The Centuries listeners can save 30% off their first order and enjoy free shipping on orders over $75! Head to cornbreadhemp.com/COTC and use code COTC at checkout. Cornbread Hemp: This is the good life.

Hiya Health. We've worked out a special deal with Hiya for their best selling children's vitamin. Receive 50% off your first order. To claim this deal you must go to hiyahealth.com/COTC.

Galatea. Right now, Galatea is offering our listeners an extra 25% off on top of an already-irresistibly-affordable subscription when you go to GALATEA.COM/COTC.

S5 Ep17: Faith Vs. Flag: How the Gobitis Case Tested the Limits of Religious Freedom

Powered by Wave AI