
Lund, et al. v. Rowan County
What's at Stake
The ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ of North Carolina and ³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ 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.â€
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
³Ô¹ÏÖ±²¥ and NC Residents File Lawsuit to End Unconstitutional Prayers at Rowan County Meetings