Witters v. Washington Department of Services for the Blind involved a Washington statute that provided funds to visually impaired individuals for use in obtaining education or job training. Witters was qualified to receive aid under the statute because he suffered from a progressive eye condition, but the state denied his petition for funds because he was studying to be a pastor; the state felt that provision of funds for such a purpose would impermissibly promote religion in violation of the Establishment Clause. The Supreme Court reversed the state’s decision, concluding that the statute did nothing to advance religion. First, the statute provided funds directly to qualified individuals who then used the money to obtain job training. Nothing in the statute provided a preference for individuals to pursue religious education. Second, the record in the case indicated that, on the whole, the amount ultimately used to obtain religious education would be minimal. Because the statute provided the money directly to individuals who ultimately made the decision about how to spend the funds, there was no state action sponsoring religion. Thus, the statute did not violate the Establishment Clause.
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