Lund, et al. v. Rowan County
What's at Stake
The ACLU of North Carolina and American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit on behalf of three Rowan County citizens, demanding that the Rowan County Board of Commissioners stop its unconstitutional practice of opening government meetings with coercive legislator-led prayers that alienate those who do not participate.
Summary
Taken as a whole, the prayer practice – consisting exclusively of prayers delivered by board members, who directed audience participation and signaled disfavor toward non-Christians – created a hostile environment for people of different beliefs.
As the Fourth Circuit aptly described in its en banc opinion, “[W]hen a seat of government begins to resemble a house of worship, the values of religious observance are put at risk, and the danger of religious division rises accordingly.”
Status: The Fourth Circuit en banc struck down the prayer practice as an Establishment Clause violation. Rowan County has filed a petition for a writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Legal Documents
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12/15/2017
Lund, et al. v. Rowan County - Opposition to Cert. Petition
Date Filed: 12/15/2017
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07/25/2013
Lund, et al. v. Rowan County - Memorandum Opinion and Order
Date Filed: 07/25/2013
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03/13/2013
Lund, et al. v. Rowan County - Motion for Preliminary Injunction
Date Filed: 03/13/2013
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03/13/2013
Lund, et al. v. Rowan County - Memorandum of Law
Date Filed: 03/13/2013
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03/13/2013
Lund, et al. v. Rowan County - Complaint
Date Filed: 03/13/2013
Press Releases
United States Supreme Court Declines to Review North Carolina County’s Coercive Prayer Practice
Federal Court Blocks North Carolina County From Delivering Sectarian Prayers at Government Meetings
ACLU and NC Residents File Lawsuit to End Unconstitutional Prayers at Rowan County Meetings
