FFRF helped end a constitutional violation in Fort Myers, Fla.
FFRF Legal Fellow Chris Line wrote to the city of Fort Meyers after a complainant reported that the city sponsored and promoted a “Community Prayer Breakfast” on the National Day of Prayer.
FFRF received a response from City Attorney Grant Williams Alley, who reviewed the document, which called the Day of Prayer a city-hosted event. Alley said the publication was incorrect. He further confirmed that the city did not pay for the event and the event organizers paid for the use of all city services and facilities. Alley assured FFRF the city would attempt to correct this advertisement, which is not created by the city, should it happen again in the future.
“Please understand the city of Fort Myers does not want to alienate any people, irrespective of what religion they are or, as you write, the 24 percent of Americans who are nonreligious,” the city’s letter read. “There exists a fundamental separation between church and state in American jurisprudence and the city strives to follow the fluid law as the courts interpret them and your opinions are helpful in this critical endeavor.”