Brandon Jones, left, and Thomas Coleman, right, lead a rally on the second level of the Hamilton County Courthouse in this file photo.Two men suing the Hamilton County Commission over the Christian prayers it holds during meetings gathered Tuesday with a Christian leader on UTC’s campus to support his prayer initiative.
Tommy Coleman and Brandon Jones, who initially sued county commissioners in June alleging a violation of the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, are both University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students who are helping the school’s Secular Student Alliance.
They met Tuesday at the University Center with Corey Garrett, the 39-year-old director of Campus Christians, who began pushing for private and personal prayers at university events last spring.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, sent a letter in May to UTC officials challenging Christian prayers held at university events such as football games. University administrators are considering the letter, Associate Vice Chancellor of University Relations Chuck Cantrell has said.
“This is something we would fight for, the right to pray before a game,” Coleman said. “There’s no government or school sponsorship.”