Town of Greece v. Galloway

In 2008, Americans United for Separation of Church and State sued the town of Greece, New York, on behalf of two local residents because they were offended at the prayers being offered at public meetings. They claimed the town violated the Constitution because many of the citizens who volunteered chose to say Christian prayers and demanded that the town censor those prayers to eliminate their distinctly Christian nature.

But the practice of town councils acknowledging America’s religious heritage and invoking divine guidance and blessings upon their work is a time-honored tradition and has always been constitutional. Even the Obama administration sided with the town of Greece.

Thankfully, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Americans are free to pray according to their own beliefs at public meetings. By its holding, the Court affirmed that Americans throughout the country are free to pray faithfully, without fear of censorship at public meetings.

Case timeline

• February 2008: AU filed a lawsuit against the Town of Greece on behalf of two residents alleging that its practice of inviting citizens to volunteer uncensored prayers before meetings was unconstitutional.
• August 2010: The U.S. District Court for the Western District of New York ruled that the Town of Greece had not violated the Constitution and dismissed AU’s lawsuit.
• May 2012: The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit reversed the district court’s decision to dismiss the suit. While the 2nd Circuit found that some prayers may be constitutional, it ruled that the Town of Greece needed to abandon its prayer practice or take unprecedented steps to make sure non-Christians did not “feel like outsiders.”
• December 2012: ADF attorneys petitioned the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case.
• May 2014: The Supreme Court reversed the 2nd Circuit ruling in a 5-4 decision. The Court ruled that the Town of Greece was free to allow uncensored prayers and that so doing did not violate the First Amendment.