Georgia
FFRF wrote a letter to the Gwinnett County administrator in Lawrenceville, Ga., after the county’s staff lunch was interrupted by a prayer given by a staff member. A county employee reported that, in December 2023, the director of the county’s parks and recreation department led county employees in prayer before a staff lunch. The prayer was Christian and delivered “in Jesus’ name.” FFRF’s complainant reported feeling “ostracized and disrespected” by the inclusion of a Christian prayer as an official part of a county function. “A county department cannot require or encourage its staff to observe or participate in a prayer as part of a county staff event,” FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line wrote to the county administrator.
After nearly a year of FFRF’s efforts to hear back from the county, Senior Assistant County Attorney Allison B. Cauthen finally responded to the complaint. Cauthen informed FFRF that the concern was also brought to the attention of the Gwinnett County Department of Human Resources around the same time. “The situation was addressed, and we do not expect group led prayer at any future events,” she wrote.
