BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–On Tuesday night, school board members started the meeting on a different note. Rather than say a prayer, board members called for a moment of silence.
“At this time, let’s take a moment of silence, so that each of us can reflect on our own faith and it’s place in our work this evening,” stated Board Chairman Jim Hayes.
According to Hayes, it was only a matter of time before the district’s long-standing tradition of starting each meeting with a Christian prayer came to an end.
The move comes after Americans United sent a “cease and desist” letter to school board members on June 15th.
“We have received a complaint regarding the Berkeley County School District Board of Education’s practice of reciting the Lord’s Prayer in unison before every Board meeting,” the letter reads. “Because the inclusion of prayer at Board of Education meetings is a violation of the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, we ask that you remove the prayer from the Board’s meetings.”
Representatives with Americans United for Separation of Church and State argue that “the Board’s practice exploits the prayer opportunity to advance the Christian faith.”
“Because students are impressionable, and because their attendance at schools is involuntary, courts are ‘particularly vigilant in monitoring compliance with the [First Amendment] in elementary and secondary schools,’” the letter stated.
The letter also explained that some notable U.S. Supreme Court decisions are not on the board’s side. In Marsh v. Chambers and Greece v. Galloway, the high court allowed government bodies to open their meetings with prayers under certain conditions – even if the majority of the invocations are Christian.
But these rulings don’t apply to school boards, in part because students sometimes attend those meetings.
During the school board meeting, Hayes stated that the board basically has five options:
- To continue to recite the Lord’s Prayer and face a long and expensive lawsuit that many others have already fought and lost.
- To observe a moment of silence in the place of a verbal invocation and individuals can meditate and reflect as they desire.
- Eliminate the item of any invocation from the board meetings entirely
- Develop a list of religious and secular groups throughout the county and extend an invitation to present the invocation at each of our meetings.
- To have a non-religious prayer read by a board member during invocation time.
Vice Chairwoman Kathy Schwalbe said she would comply with the moment of silence in an effort to be inclusive of all religions.
“We are compelled as a body to be inclusive of all religions. I always think of our children and teachers first. I’m in favor of the moment of silence. I think it’s the most respectful way,” she stated. “I know what I’m going to be saying during those 60 seconds, and I believe my Lord hears me.”
Not every school board member, though, is embracing the change–including Phillip Obie II.
“I think it would be a grave mistake if we take prayer out of our board meetings,” he stated. “It guides us on everything that we do. If someone wants to sue us in the name of God, then let them do it.”
School board member Mac McQuillin also called it “a moment of censorship.”
“These same DC lawyers just lost their last legislative prayer case in the United States Supreme court. These are the same DC lawyers who tried and failed to remove ‘In God We Trust’ from our national motto, to stop children from saying “under God” in the pledge of allegiance and to cancel the annual Christmas stamp,” stated McQuillin.
McQuillin also called Americans United an organization that bullies communities deeply rooted in faith and religion.
“Bullying is how they make their money. They target small towns and small school districts and threaten them with litigation,” he said.
Other board members say they fear litigation if they fail to comply with the AU’s threatening letter.
“I think we are all very faithful people on this board. I believe God put me where I am. However, I do not want to have to pay anymore lawyer fees,” stated board member, Shannon Lee. “That’s one of the things my constituents have said over and over. If we can get free representation, I’m all about that as long as it’s quality. As strong as my beliefs are, it’s not fair to push them on anybody else.”
“I don’t really have a comment about it at all. I think it should be inclusive of everybody because I don’t want to force my opinion or religious beliefs on anybody,” stated board member, Frank Wright.
“I’m not in favor of a moment of silence, but I’m also not in favor of the practice that we currently have in place. I do think prayer is needed at our board meetings,” stated board member, Julius Barnes. “I lean more to a selection of clergy coming into our meetings to allow our prayer. I do want prayer at our board members.”
According to board member Sally Wofford, the board will discuss the issue further at the meeting to formulate a plan to include prayer in accordance with the law.
“I don’t want a moment of quiet. I would like a moment of unity. I think the best way to have that is to have a list of clergy of all different kinds to come and bring us together and have that unity at that time,” stated Wofford. “There has to be something. Eliminating it is not even on my radar. I want to make sure that people know that the Board is not just dumping prayer without a vote or discussion of policy.”
To read the Americans United letter sent to the Berkeley County School District, click here.
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