Wicomico County Council Removes Opening Prayer Practice
WICOMICO COUNTY, Md. – The Wicomico County Council announced on Wednesday that they are discontinuing the use of the Lord’s Prayer at the opening of their meetings.
The decision comes after the Council was threatened with litigation from groups like the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Councilmembers received multiple letters demanding action after a council member read scripture from a Bible during council comments at a legislative meeting last year. After weeks of legal review and discussion, Council President John T. Cannon determined there were “no viable alternatives that would not expose the County to significant legal risk and expense.”
Legal counsel reportedly advised councilmembers that any challenge to the precedent surrounding council-led sectarian prayer would likely require litigation through the U.S. Supreme Court level. The County Council acknowledged there was no reasonable expectation of success in the Maryland courts or the Fourth Circuit.
“The County Council has, through the leadership of the Council President and several members successfully maintained a long-standing tradition of opening prayer throughout their combined decades of public service,” the announcement said. “They regret that the County has been placed in this position and are deeply disappointed that continued pressure and the threat of litigation
have forced such an unfortunate outcome.”
This issue followed the County recently settling legal issues involving the elimination of two at-large council positions after legal action was taken by the ACLU and NAACP.
“In that matter, potential legal costs were initially projected to approach several hundred thousand dollars,” the announcement said. “Based on legal advice and the recognized predispositions of federal courts, the County ultimately determined that its only viable option was to negotiate a settlement that significantly reduced—but did not eliminate—the financial impact to taxpayers.”
The Council says they are currently considering its options regarding future opening practices.
To read the full statement, click here.
