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Suit Challenges Lord's Prayer At Borough Council Meetings

By Howard M. Friedman

The ACLU of New Jersey announced yesterday that it had filed a lawsuit in state court against the Borough Council of  Point Pleasant Beach, New Jersey challenging its practice of opening Council meetings with the recitation of the Lord's Prayer.  The complaint (full text) in Cadalzo v. Borough of Point Pleasant Beach, (NJ Super. Ct., filed 9/20/2010), alleges that at each council meeting the city clerk invites the audience to stand for the flag salute and Lord's Prayer, followed by the clerk making the sign of the cross. (Recording of prayer at council meeting.) A Catholic priest led the prayer during the first Council meeting of the year.  The lawsuit  asks the court to determine that Council's prayer practices violate the Establishment Clause of New Jersey's Constitution, Art. I, Sec. 4. Plaintiff also filed a brief (full text) in support of her motion for a preliminary injunction.

Full post as published by Religion Clause on September 21, 2010 (boomark / email).