ACLU Challenges Christian Prayers At County Commission Meetings

The ACLU of North Carolina announced yesterday that it has filed suit on behalf of three Rowan County (NC) citizens challenging the opening of nearly all County Board of Commissioners meetings with sectarian prayer. The federal court complaint (full text) in Lund v. Rowan County, North Carolina, (MD NC, filed 3/12/2013), alleges that 139 of the past 143 Board meetings were opened with prayers that concluded with references to Jesus or other Christian concepts. The suit argues that this violates the Establishment Clause as well as provisions of the North Carolina Constitution.  Plaintiffs also filed a motion for preliminary injunction and a memorandum in support of the motion.