Court Upholds City Council Invocation Policy

In Atheists of Florida, Inc. v. City of Lakeland, Florida, (MD FL, Feb 22, 2012), a Florida federal district court rejected challenges to the invocation policy of the Lakeland City Commission. Before 2010, individuals from a congregation list that included only Christian congregations were invited to deliver the invocation. Beginning in 2010, the policy was changed to expand the congregation list to include all congregations with a presence in the community, including several non-Christian congregations. The court said that legislative prayer, including sectarian prayer, can be constitutionally permissible under the type of selection process which Lakeland had after 2010. The court also rejected challenges to the pre-2010 policy. The Lakeland Ledger reports on the decision. The Lakeland Ledger reports on the decision.