Commissioners and observers stand for an opening prayer during the morning meeting of the Hamilton County Commission in this file photo.After a Washington odd couple chose to offer support of prayers in public meetings in a U.S. Supreme Court case, two Hamilton County residents suing to stop public prayers locally say they were surprised but will continue to press on.
Attorneys for the Obama administration and House and Senate Republicans last week filed “friend of the court” briefs in the case of Greece v. Galloway.
The case involves a New York woman who is suing the town of Greece, N.Y., to halt prayers before public meetings. In that case, the woman is arguing that prayers at the town council were exclusively Christian and therefore endorsed Christianity over other religions.
The high court case closely parallels a federal case in Hamilton County, where residents Thomas Coleman and Brandon Jones are suing to halt prayers before Hamilton County Commission meetings and have them replaced with moments of silence.
Coleman said Tuesday he was disappointed by the White House’s move.