Court Rules School Board Members May Open Meetings With Prayer
By Jim Brown
August 8, 2005

(AgapePress) - A judge has tossed out a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union challenging prayers at school board meetings in Delaware. The lawsuit was filed against members of the Indian River School District Board of Education, a group that regularly opens its business meetings with prayer.

Judge Joseph Farnan ruled that the school board meeting prayers are not a violation of the constitutional provision often referred to as the separation of church and state or the "Establishment Clause," as the ACLU had argued. He also determined that the school board members are immune from the ACLU's liability claims.

In dismissing the case against the individual board members, the judge stated that opening a session of the legislature or other deliberative public body with a prayer does not violate the Establishment Clause. He also declared that absolute immunity extends to legislators at all levels of government, including school board members in Delaware.

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