LITTLE ROCK — A complaint over prayers at North Little Rock City Council meetings has ended with the American Civil Liberties Union acknowledging that concessions by the city to recognize diverse beliefs helped defuse the issue.
The organization issued a news release Thursday afternoon stating that it recognizes that nonsectarian prayer is allowable under federal law and that North Little Rock’s previous practice “was no longer status quo for the city.”
The group had challenged the constitutionality of the prayers, saying they endorsed Christianity over other beliefs.
Jason Carter, North Little Rock’s city attorney, said Thursday that the ACLU’s action would make all government officials who pray during public meetings more aware of how their words or actions are perceived by anyone with differing beliefs.
“I know this matter is of active concern around the country,” Carter said. “City councils that are going tocontinue to have prayer need to be cognizant of citizens who have diverse religious beliefs.”
The ACLU cautioned the city in March of possible legal action after a resident or residents complained to the ACLU of the council’s practice of opening its meetings with a prayer “that endorses one faith, Christianity, to the exclusion of others.”
The City Council addressed the complaint at an April meeting.
On Carter’s advice, council agendas and meeting telecasts began including a disclaimer that any religious viewpoints expressed were the personal opinions of the speaker. The notice also states that any prayer is “not intended to proselytize, advance or disparage any religious belief.”
Carter said the city’s willingness to offer the disclaimers showed that the practice of opening meetings with a prayer wasn’t meant to exclude anyone of differing beliefs and answered the complaint in a positive manner.
“The thing they’re trying to show is they are appreciative to the fact that we have changed our procedures,” Carter said. “No one is expected to pray a certain way or to pray at all. The ACLU’s letter reflects that the complainant is sufficiently satisfied with our changes in the process.
“But,” Carter added, “they do indicate that they will still be watching.”
A number of other government meetings open with a prayer, Arkansas Municipal League Executive Director Don Zimmerman said this spring. Prayer is held at the beginning of state legislative sessions and most city government meetings, including Little Rock, Sherwood and Maumelle, all of which border North Little Rock.
The ACLU raised the objection in North Little Rock, state ACLU Executive Director Rita Sklar said in April, because a North Little Rock resident had complained about the City Council’s prayers. The news release Thursday referred to a “response to residents’ concerns.”
The ACLU maintained thatthe prayers conducted by either Mayor Patrick Hays or by aldermen on a rotating basis “had been exclusively Christian prayers” and asked the city to “discontinue the unlawful practice.” However, while the ACLU reaffirmed Thursday that a sectarian prayer “runs afoul” of the U.S. Constitution, it stated that the city’s willingness to alter its practice is appreciated.
In a letter earlier this week to Carter from Holly Dickson, the ACLU’s attorney, Dickson wrote that the complainant’s interest and that of the ACLU was “to see that the practice is no longer the status quo for the city.”
“It is our understanding that the city intends to modify its previous practice and will hereafter use a system of rotational prayer that will include without limitation other faiths and nonsectarian prayer,” Dickson wrote.
“The consideration of these city leaders is to be highly commended, for it not only helps alleviate some of the concerns of the complaining residents, but also because it will also likely keep us from having to file suit against the city,” Dickson’s letter said.
Dickson ended the letter by thanking city officials for “reevaluating your long-standing practice.”
Arkansas, Pages 11 on 07/23/2010