Is the Sarasota County School Board violating the First Amendment by opening meetings with a prayer?

Unless the Sarasota County School Board’s new religious invocation policy is challenged and a court strikes it down, the board isn’t doing anything illegal by opening its meetings with a prayer.

The school board’s new policy allows them to open meetings with an invocation, “which may include a prayer, short solemnizing message or moment of silence.” The policy emphasizes that no one is required to participate, and the board won’t endorse or disparage any faith.

This doesn’t mean there’s no ground for a lawsuit, however. Courts have struck down opening prayers for other school and county boards and during graduations. Each case had its own circumstances that led to a court recognizing its unconstitutionality.

Since there’s no Supreme Court or state ruling in Florida that gives a definitive answer on policies like the one in Sarasota County, the school board isn’t violating any laws.