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The village was sent a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation from Madison,
Wisconsin requesting the government entity discontinue praying before the council meetings.
Council currently opens their meetings with a prayer led by either a local pastor or a council member. Following a prayer, council proceeds into the pledge of allegiance.
In a letter dated March 5, addressed to The Honorable Edsel R Tucker and Hartville Village Council, Staff Attorney Rebecca S. Markert read: “I am writing on behalf of a concerned Hartville resident and taxpayer and other Ohio members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) to urge you to discontinue the practice of opening City Council meetings with prayers, and specifically prayers that unconstitutionally reference Christianity and invoke Jesus Christ.”
The letter states the prayers being sectarian and only of the Christian faith is illegal and violates the First Amendment of the Constitution.
“The Council’s demonstrated preference for Christianity during Council meetings is illegal. By hosting sectarian prayers, which shows preference for Christianity, the Council is inappropriately entangling itself with religion,” the letter continues.
FFRF’s co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor would not reveal the name of the resident who filed the complaint with the FFRF.
Gaylor said that the FFRF is “actively pursuing the complaint” and may get into contact with the person who filed the complaint.
“We just hope that reason prevails and that they will do the right thing,” said Gaylor.
Since council received the letter, the following disclaimer has appeared on the April 6 and April 20 council agendas: “No person in attendance is required to stand or participate in the Invocation or the Pledge of Allegiance. Your participation is a matter of personal choice, and those individuals offering prayer or leading the Pledge of Allegiance do so as a private citizen, to and for the benefit of the Council.”
This issue is an ongoing issue for the village council and they are investigating this legal action.
The village was sent a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation from Madison,
Wisconsin requesting the government entity discontinue praying before the council meetings.
Council currently opens their meetings with a prayer led by either a local pastor or a council member. Following a prayer, council proceeds into the pledge of allegiance.
In a letter dated March 5, addressed to The Honorable Edsel R Tucker and Hartville Village Council, Staff Attorney Rebecca S. Markert read: “I am writing on behalf of a concerned Hartville resident and taxpayer and other Ohio members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) to urge you to discontinue the practice of opening City Council meetings with prayers, and specifically prayers that unconstitutionally reference Christianity and invoke Jesus Christ.”
The letter states the prayers being sectarian and only of the Christian faith is illegal and violates the First Amendment of the Constitution.
“The Council’s demonstrated preference for Christianity during Council meetings is illegal. By hosting sectarian prayers, which shows preference for Christianity, the Council is inappropriately entangling itself with religion,” the letter continues.
FFRF’s co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor would not reveal the name of the resident who filed the complaint with the FFRF.
Gaylor said that the FFRF is “actively pursuing the complaint” and may get into contact with the person who filed the complaint.
“We just hope that reason prevails and that they will do the right thing,” said Gaylor.
Since council received the letter, the following disclaimer has appeared on the April 6 and April 20 council agendas: “No person in attendance is required to stand or participate in the Invocation or the Pledge of Allegiance. Your participation is a matter of personal choice, and those individuals offering prayer or leading the Pledge of Allegiance do so as a private citizen, to and for the benefit of the Council.”
This issue is an ongoing issue for the village council and they are investigating this legal action.
