Can school boards say prayers prior to their meetings?
While the Supreme Court has upheld the right of legislative bodies to open their sessions with a prayer, 23 other courts have addressed and struck down prayers in a school board setting as such meetings are “inextricably intertwined with the public school system.” 24 Sample Scenarios: Football Coach Leads Team in Prayer On the day of the Central Valley High School football championship, the coach gave his team a last-minute pep talk in the Bulldogs’ locker room. He then led the team in a prayer, as he traditionally did before each athletic event. Richard Nelson, a student, felt uncomfortable reciting the prayer because he was an atheist. He mentioned his discomfort to the coach who responded that Richard should simply stand in silence or feel free to leave the room while his teammates prayed together. Is the team prayer constitutional? Is the coach’s solution viable? The team prayer led by Richard Nelson’s coach is unconstitutional and the coach’s offered solution is unacceptable. He h
