Multiple residents used the meeting's public-comment period to criticize the board's invocation practice and to object to enforcement actions taken during the meeting.

Several speakers urged the board to stop offering exclusively Christian prayers at the start of meetings and to adopt a more inclusive approach. Max Wirtcher (referred to in the record as Max Wood at one point), who identified himself as the person who contacted the Freedom From Religion Foundation about the board's invocation practice, urged the board to permit secular invocations and said he had previously offered to provide a secular invocation and was turned down. He told the board the exclusive practice "denies representation to a significant portion of this community," and described prior communications with the Freedom From Religion Foundation about constitutional concerns.

Other callers raised concerns about board enforcement of meeting rules during public comment. A speaker, Ashley McLean (surname in transcript), and another parent objected when their child and friends were told not to hold signs during the meeting. The parent told the board those signs were quietly held and did not disrupt the meeting, and said the bylaws do not prohibit signs. The parent urged the board to stop what she called unequal enforcement.

Separately, an attendee identified on the record as Max Wood wore a shirt the board said contained inappropriate language and was told to cover it or leave; after refusing to cover the word the attendee used profanity and was removed from the meeting and later asked to be trespassed from future meetings. The board president apologized to attendees for the language and removal.

Other speakers defended the board's practices. Jim Powell and others expressed support for the invocation and the pledge of allegiance and said they viewed the invocation as permissible.

Ending: The board noted public comments and did not take immediate agenda action on invocation procedures during the meeting. Several speakers asked the board to revise invocation practices and to consider alternatives that would include secular or multi-faith options.