High Court to review legality of opening public meetings with prayers

The Supreme Court has announced that it will hear an appeal over the constitutionally of opening public meetings with a prayer.  Under review is a Second Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that Greece, New York (a suburb of Rochester) unlawfully opened its town meetings with a prayer.

The town argues that the court has already upheld prayers at the start of legislative meetings and that private citizens offered invocations of their own choosing.  Non-Christian town residents complained they felt marginalized by the use of Christian prayers and filed suit.  They are represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State.