Atheists target school-board prayer

An atheists group wants the Utah Board of Education to stop opening meetings with prayer or open the forum to all.

"It suggests discrimination against atheists in the public schools," Chris Allen, who spoke on behalf of Utah Atheists, told the board Friday. "If asking politely (to stop) doesn't work . . . (legal recourse) is our option."

The state school board meetings start with a "welcome and boardsmanship development." That typically includes a board member sharing a thought, then praying.

Allen objected to the prayers at last month's meeting and again Friday.

Board chairman Kim Burningham said the board has sought a legal opinion and would discuss the matter after the newly elected board is sworn in next month.

He called the opening "reverence" a time to reflect, seek strength or express ideas on the tasks at hand as an individual sees fit.

He then stood and prayed, seeking strength and a blessing to "make the right decision" on other policy matters before the board.

Allen says such prayers always are "made to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ," the tradition of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He says that gives the appearance the public school system is tied to the church.

"Just having a reverence suggests discrimination against atheists, and public schools shouldn't do that," Allen said.

Last April, the board of directors of Utah Atheists wrote to the state school board, saying prayer in local school board meetings statewide was illegal.

The letter evoked a 1993 Utah Supreme Court case that allows boards and citizens to pray if they want at public meetings, but only if they open the forum to everyone.

"The Utah Atheists organization is making a request to equally participate in opening remarks portions of any school board meetings in Utah that have established such a forum for free speech," the letter states. "We would prefer that the State . . . Board decide on a statewide basis not to allow such free speech forums as opening remarks, prayer, or invocations at our public meetings. We strongly believe that turning our meetings into political and religious contests is not in the best interest of the taxpayers, employees or students."