A Wisconsin-based nonprofit that promotes the separation of church and state says the Canton Local school board is violating the Constitution by beginning its board meetings with a prayer. In a July 23 letter, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has requested the school board immediately stop scheduling prayers as part of its future board meetings. The letter, directed at board President Scott Hamilton, states a concerned Canton Local parent reported the violation, relaying that the board president or another board member typically leads the prayer that often contains the phrases, “Dear God” or “Dear lord” and “amen,” “in Jesus’ name,” or “in Christ’s name” and occasionally directly quotes the Christian Bible. The letter states the board also directs the audience, which often includes parents, students and community members, to stand in recognition of the prayer. The organization says this prayer practice constitutes a government advancement and endorsement of religion, which violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. It cites the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in a 1999 case — Coles vs. Cleveland Board of Education — that found the Cleveland school board’s prayer practice was more akin to school prayer, which has been found unconstitutional, […]
