Atheist Group May Sue Florida County Over Prayer
An atheist group in Florida says it may sue a local county government after commissioners refused to let the group deliver an invocation at a public meeting.
David Williamson, founder of the Central Florida Freethought Community, told a local media outlet that he may consider legal action against the Brevard County Commission after it sent him a letter saying he could not deliver an invocation at a county public meeting because his group was not a member of the faith community. Instead, the county suggested Williamson speak for three minutes during the open floor session at the end of the meeting.
Williamson told Florida Today that he found it "very disappointing" that the commission sent him the letter, saying that he will speak with legal experts regarding his next move. "Everyone can be treated equal, except when it comes to religion, it appears. What we were seeking is inclusion," Williamson said.
The Brevard County Commission voted on Tuesday to send Williamson and his group the letter, drafted by Commissioner Mary Bolin Lewis, that explains why the atheist group cannot deliver the convocation at public meetings.
"The invocation portion of the agenda is an opening prayer, presented by members of our faith community," Bolin Lewis' letter, unanimously approved by the commission, read. "The prayer is delivered during the ceremonial portion of the county's meeting, and typically invokes guidance for the County Commission from the highest spiritual authority, a higher authority which a substantial body of Brevard constituents believe to exist."
