Judges banish 'anything that might resemble prayer'
In a ruling that apparently conflicts with U.S. Supreme Court precedent, a three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a ban on “anything that might resemble a prayer” at board meetings of a Southern California school district.
“This requires the board to censor or otherwise remove individuals who attempt to say a prayer, or anything that might resemble a prayer, during the public comment period,” explained Robert Tyler, a legal counsel representing the Chino Valley Unified School District in a case brought by an atheist activist group.
“Such an overbroad injunction is a clear violation of the right of private citizens to address their local representatives in public meetings and is dangerous to the First Amendment.”
The Freedom from Religion Foundation sued the district in southwestern San Bernardino County, which was represented by the Faith and Freedom Foundation...