A federal court on Oct. 5 will hear oral arguments in an important lawsuit challenging legislative prayer practices in Brevard County, Fla.
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.
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 David Williamson, lead plaintiff in the case.
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.
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.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nontheistic organization dedicated to the separation of state and church, with more than 23,000 members all over the country.