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Board member proposes opening meetings with prayer; board asks counsel to review policy options
Summary
Board member Chuck Abernathy proposed adding an invocation or prayer at the start of board meetings, citing precedent and a drafted policy modeled on another county. The board gave the chair and vice chair consensus to consult legal counsel and return options, but did not adopt a policy at the meeting.
A board member proposed that the McDowell County Schools Board begin meetings with an invocation or prayer and presented a draft policy based on a policy used in another county.
"What I would like to see is for this board to begin opening its meetings with an invocation or a prayer," the board member said, noting that other public bodies, including county and state bodies, have similar practices and that a written policy could be modeled and defended.
He described two implementation options: adopt a written policy with rotational ministers signing up to lead short invocations, or implement invocations informally without a written policy, including the option of rotating board members as leaders. He said his attorney had indicated some precedents had been successfully defended.
Board members discussed legal precedent and precedent value; several members expressed support. Chair Terry Frank said he would poll the board for consensus to allow the chair and vice chair to meet with counsel to draft guidance. The board reached consensus to pursue legal review and return proposed language at a later meeting rather than taking immediate action.
No policy was adopted at the Dec. 2 meeting; the action taken was to direct leadership and legal counsel to research options and present recommendations.
