A North Carolina school board will no longer start its meetings with a prayer.
The Robeson County Board of Education announced they are ending a longtime tradition of having either board members or staffers deliver the prayer.
The prayer ban was announced after the board received a threatening letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a gang of Wisconsin-based atheists.
The FFRF said they were acting on a complaint filed by a “concerned” citizen who reportedly got triggered by the name of Jesus Christ.
Board member Henry Brewer offered the following prayer in February:
“Let us pray. Almighty and wise God, creator of the universe, we thank You, Lord, for allowing us this day to see. We thank You, Lord, tonight, God, for the invitation to be able to come, Lord, tonight and to pray with these men and women to make great decisions for the Public Schools of Robeson County. We ask you, Lord, tonight, to strengthen the superintendent from day to day as he makes decisions for the Public Schools of Robeson County. We pray tonight, Father, for each board member as they make their decisions, Lord, as they make their decisions concerning the Public Schools of Robeson County…Father, we thank You again for this day, that you allowed us to see…In Jesus’ name we do pray, amen.”
That prayer was specifically mentioned in the atheist group’s complaint.
“Out of respect for the First Amendment rights and diversity of its community, we ask that the Board cease unconstitutionally including prayers at meetings,” FFRF wrote.
“The Supreme Court has consistently struck down prayers offered at school-sponsored events,” FFRF attorney Chris Line wrote to the school board. “In each of these cases, the Supreme Court struck down school-sponsored prayer because it constitutes government favoritism towards religion, which violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.”
The school district’s legal counsel caved to the out-of-town atheists and said they would open future meetings with a moment of silence.
