Brevard County In Federal Court Over Prayer and Legislative Practices, Williamson v. Brevard County
By Space Coast Daily // September 26, 2016
Court to hear oral arguments Oct. 5 in Orlando
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – A federal court on Oct. 5 will hear oral arguments in an important lawsuit challenging legislative prayer practices in Brevard County.
Alex J. Luchenitser, associate legal director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, will argue the Williamson v. Brevard County case before the court, together with Americans United Steven Gey Fellow Bradley S. Girard. Luchenitser will be available to speak to the media after the argument along with plaintiffs David Williamson and Keith Becher.
The hearing will take place Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 10 a.m., in Courtroom 6B, at the U.S. Courthouse, 401 West Central Blvd., Orlando.
Americans United for Separation of Church and State, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, the American Civil Liberties Union, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed the lawsuit in July 2015 on behalf of multiple plaintiffs.
The plaintiffs include the Central Florida Freethought Community (a chapter of FFRF) and its chair Williamson; the Space Coast Freethought Association and its president Chase Hansel; the Humanist Community of the Space Coast and its president Keith Becher and Brevard County resident Ronald Gordon.
The groups assert that the Brevard County Board of County Commissioners’ persistent rejection of atheists, humanists and other nontheists who want to deliver solemnizing messages at the commencement of board meetings violates the U.S. and Florida Constitutions.
