Prayer Issue At Public Meetings Will Go Back To Court

The battle over prayer at Supervisors’ meetings in Pittsylvania County will likely head back to trial, after the two sides failed to reach an agreement during closed mediation talks. The Virginia chapter of the ACLU sued the county in 2011, claiming the practice of opening public meetings with Christian prayer violated the First Amendment. A Judge issued a preliminary injunction last February barring supervisors from opening with prayer pending the outcome of a lawsuit. An amendment to the state constitution that would have allowed prayer in schools and at public meetings was proposed in this year’s General Assembly but was withdrawn when it was clear it did not have the votes to pass.