HARRISONBURG VA:  (WSVA) – The Rockingham County School Board is abandoning its newly-revived practice of opening its meetings with a prayer – for now, at least.
In a social media post yesterday, School Board Chairman Matt Cross said that in light of recent cease-and-desist letters and threats of legal action, the board will return to conducting a moment of silence before each meeting until they can “clear their plate of more pressing issues.”
Cross maintains that the board’s prayer policy did not violate any laws, adding that he will invite other members and Superintendent Dr. Larry Shifflett to join him in private prayer before each meeting starts.
The board recently received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation claiming that opening meetings with prayer violates the U-S Constitution.