 71, Champaign Cty., was filed in the 6th judicial circuit court and sought to bar the classes, which were taught by members of a private religious association and not public school employees.The petition before the court complained the school district's practice was a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which provides that the state will not establish or favor one religion over another religion, or disallow the practice of any religion, and also the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which guarantees that the law will apply equally to all people.On September 10, 1945, the opening argument by McCollum's attorney, Landon Chapman, suggested the program was sectarian and social pressure from students and teachers was used to get all students to participate.