The Cabarrus County School Board recently weighed whether to adopt a policy to authorize an opening prayer prior to the start of meetings, touching off an emotional debate.
The board ultimately passed a resolution, in a 5-2 vote, to direct its policy committee to draft guidelines on the practice, noting that any invocations would be open to clergy or representatives from all religions. The resolution directs the policy committee to draft a formal policy, which will need to be reviewed and approved by the board before going into effect.
Board member Melanie Freeman introduced the resolution. She argued that an invocation is a long-held tradition in the United States dating back to the beginning of the nation.
“Having an invocation is a time-honored tradition of our country,” Freeman stated during the debate. She emphasized the ceremonial aspect of the practice, saying it was not intended to alienate, but rather to solemnize the proceedings.
Greg Mills, the board’s vice chair, echoed this sentiment, explaining the invocation would serve more as a moment of focus for the board members.
“For me, the invocation doesn’t need to be this onerous thing that’s pressing down religion on you. The invocation is over these board members. It’s not for the benefit of the YouTube audience. It’s not for the benefit of the people in this room. It’s for us to take a beat at the beginning of the meeting and focus ourselves on the solemnity of the work that we have to do,” Mills said.
He also expressed hope that the practice would be “a unifying thing rather than a divisive thing.”
But not all board members were on board with the proposal. Pam Escobar, one of two dissenting votes, voiced strong opposition, emphasizing the need to focus on pressing school-related priorities, such as the budget, over religious practices.
“If you put prayer at the beginning of this meeting, I don’t think that’s a welcoming sign to the people who were in this room tonight,” Escobar argued, referencing Cabarrus County’s diverse population, which includes residents from 92 countries.
Escobar was particularly concerned about sending the wrong message in an environment meant to empower and inspire students from all backgrounds.
“Frankly, we are not in the business of faith or religion. That’s not what we do. We teach. We empower. We inspire. And so, to do something that would be the opposite of that is disheartening,” she added.
Escobar also raised questions about Capital Ministries, a group connected to a lobbyist who unofficially offers invocations before the current meetings. She noted concerns about past communication from the lobbyist that she considered politically charged, asking, “How much prayer do you need? How much God do you need?”
Freeman pushed back on Escobar’s suggestion that invocations risk making meetings unwelcome to parts of the community. Freeman reminded her colleagues that the invocation policy would not specifically endorse one religion.
“To answer the comment that we’re not in the business of praying … to be offended at this point because we have immigrants who have come into our country seems a little bit out there for me,” Freeman said.
The resolution specifies that invocations could be led by individuals from any religion, meaning it would not be limited to Christian prayers. The intent, according to the school board attorney, is to ensure the practice complies with constitutional guidelines and does not treat non-participants differently.
“It’s intended to solemnize the proceedings,” explained the board attorney. “Obviously, we’ll have to make clear that if someone chooses not to participate, that we won’t treat them differently.”
A national group that advocates secular government, The Freedom From Religion Foundation, put out a press release saying that they stand behind Escobar.
“We’re proud to support this teacher and brave board member Pam Escobar for standing up for the rights of all students, parents and staff — regardless of religion or lack thereof,” said FFRF legal counsel Chris Line. “Public schools are not churches, and school board meetings are no place for religious rituals, which invariably exclude and divide.”
Attorney Tyler Brooks of the Thomas More Society wrote in Carolina Journal in 2024, though, that with the “Lemon Test,” which more-closely favored a secular public square, being set aside by the US Supreme Court, the new standard is more favorable to things like pre-meeting invocations. The current standard instead looks to “historical practices and understandings,” leading Brooks to say many local governments “may have more freedom of religious speech than they think.”
The post ‘How much God do you need?’ Cabarrus County school board debates prayer policy first appeared on Carolina Journal.