Hysong v. Gallitzin School District
Gallitzin, Cambria County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
In 1894, the Pa. Supreme Court ruled that the Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph were permitted to wear religious attire while teaching in Gallitzin public schools. In response, the Pa. legislature passed the 1895 Garb Act, forbidding public school teachers from wearing religious clothing or insignia. In the years since, state and federal courts have sought to balance the right to religious expression with the principles of secular public education.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1894 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled in Hysong that Catholic Sisters of St. Joseph could wear their religious habits while teaching in Gallitzin's public schools. The decision so alarmed the legislature that it passed the 1895 Garb Act, banning religious dress and insignia for public school teachers across the state. The clash set off a long conversation, continued in state and federal courts, over where personal faith ends and secular public education begins.
Why it matters
This small coal-town dispute helped define one of the enduring questions in American public life: how a religiously diverse democracy keeps its schools both free and neutral.
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Related events
- · Hysong v. Gallitzin School District (1894)
- · Pennsylvania Garb Act (1895)
Themes & tags
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