In 1955, New York’s State Board of Regents, which oversaw the state’s public school system, approved a recommendation for public school students to recite a short prayer before classes. School districts across the state had the option on whether to implement the prayer, which became known as the Regents’ prayer. The prayer was Christian but nondenominational. Students were allowed to opt out of saying the prayer if they chose. A school district in Long Island, New York, was one of those that adopted the recommendation. However, in 1962, the district’s prayer policy was challenged in court by a group of ten parents that included non-Christian families. The group was supported by atheist organizations and civil liberties groups. The coalition challenging the measures was led by Steven Engel, among others. Engel was Jewish and a member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), a group that promoted individual and collective freedoms.