On September 8, CAPE partnered with the Center for Law and the Human Person (CLHP) at the Catholic University of America's Columbus School of Law to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the landmark Pierce v. Society of Sisters case.

The United States Supreme Court's decision in that case overturned an Oregon law that would have required parents to send their children to public schools, in effect banning private education. In its unanimous opinion, the Court ruled that "the child is not the mere creature of the State."

At the commemoration event, AZ Supreme Court Justice Clint Bolick gave a rousing talk on the history of the case. Notre Dame Law Professor Nicole Stelle Garnett followed with a highly informative presentation on the jurisprudence that developed in the wake of Pierce.

Mark Siegel with the Oregon CAPE described the situation on the ground in Oregon at the time of the case. The presentations concluded with a panel of leaders from Catholic, Islamic, and Jewish schools moderated by CLHP's Elizabeth Kirk and Marc DeGirolami.

Justice Bolick and Professor Garnett's presentations are available to be viewed at CAPE's YouTube page.

Recently, the Indiana Non-Public Education Association (INPEA) celebrated its 50th anniversary at a spectacular dinner event in Indianapolis. In addition to honoring all of the people who have served in the organization over the years, special recognition was made of John Elcesser, who retired from INPEA this summer after 17 years at the helm.

The evening concluded with Elcesser leading a conversation with former Indiana governor Mitch Daniels.

You can watch video of the entire event here.