Whatever Happened To The First Amendment?

On Monday, Todd Starnes posted an article about a recent school board meeting in Suffolk County, Virginia.

The article reports:

A controversy over prayer has erupted in Suffolk County, Virginia.

The other day a woman concluded her remarks to the school board by attempting to offer a prayer.

The school board chairman interrupted and said prayers were not allowed inside the school board chamber.

Instead of leaving, Angela Kilgore invited those in the audience to join her in a recitation of “The Lord’s Prayer.”

At that point the school board chairman asked law enforcement to clear the room.

He then admonished those who had prayed – accusing them of grandstanding and conduct unbecoming.

As if there is something unseemly about praying for God to bless and protect the students in Suffolk County, Virginia.

…The Founding Freedoms Law Center and First Liberty Institute wrote a letter to the school board reminding them it is against the law to silence a citizen’s prayer.

“In fact, the Constitution prohibits the government from excluding religious expression from a public forum; it certainly does not require such censorship. We ask that the School Board clarify its policy accordingly, and we would be happy to work with the School Board to craft new policy that does not discriminate against religious citizens or violate their constitutional rights.  “When the government encourages diverse expression—say, by creating a forum for debate—the First Amendment prevents it from discriminating against speakers based on their viewpoint.” Shurtleff v. City of Boston, 142 S. Ct. 1583, 1583 (2022),” the law firms said in a joint statement.

The school board is more concerned about someone praying at their meeting than about the pornography in their school libraries. Maybe we need a new school board.