An atheist group recently filed a complaint against Anne Graham Lotz over a Prayer Event that she led.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation recently sent a letter of complaint to the Ashe County Sheriff’s Department in North Carolina, calling on the department to make changes to a prayer event featuring Billy Graham’s daughter Anne Graham Lotz.
According to The Christian Post, the FFRF sent the letter on the behalf of a citizen, expressing concern that allowing Lotz to host the prayer event on sheriff’s department property violated the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution.
FFRF attorney Andrew Seidel argued that the department’s decision to allow the religious event can be seen as an inappropriate endorsement of religion. Seidel also expressed concerns that Sheriff Terry Buchanan and other department employees would attend the event in their official capacity.
The sheriff’s department agreed to move the event to the department’s parking lot and assured the FFRF that sheriff’s department employees may attend the event as private citizens of their own freewill, or may be present to maintain security, but will not endorse the event as public servants.
An attorney representing Sheriff Buchanan told FFRF in a letter, “The sheriff’s office parking lot is open to any group which may wish to hold a vigil or meeting at reasonable times and upon scheduling such event. Mr. Buchanan has received several requests from individuals regarding this policy, and he has indicated to them he would provide the space to them upon the same terms and conditions which are provided to Ms. Lotz.”