Georgia
The Gilmer County Schools Board of Education based in Ellijay will no longer feature an invocation to start board meetings after FFRF took action.
A Gilmer County Schools parent reported that the board had a pattern and practice of opening meetings with an invocation. FFRF’s complainant reported that the Nov. 11, 2024, board meeting began with an invocation delivered by a Christian pastor, and all attendees were asked to bow their heads in prayer. The board’s meeting agendas and minutes confirmed the invocation practice had been in place since at least 2022. The invocation appeared to uniformly be given by representatives of the Christian faith. Additionally, FFRF’s complainant stated that students were present at the Nov. 11 meeting as the board was recognizing and awarding certain students.
“As this situation demonstrates, students are asked to attend board meetings for a variety of reasons, including to receive recognition and awards from the board,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote. “It is coercive, embarrassing and intimidating for nonreligious or minority faith citizens to be required to make a public showing of their nonbelief or differing beliefs (by not bowing their heads or praying) or else to display deference toward a religious sentiment in which they do not believe, but which their school board members clearly do.”
FFRF received a letter from Cory O. Kirby from the Pereira, Kirby, Kingsinger & Ngyuen LLP law firm. “We have discussed this matter with the superintendent, who in turn has discussed it with the board of education,” Kirby wrote. “The Board of Education has agreed to begin providing a moment of silence at each board meeting.”
