For Immediate Release

Contact: David Reinbold, dreinbold@americanhumanist.org

(July 19, 2024, Washington, D.C.) — Last month, the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida ruled in favor of plaintiffs represented by the American Humanist Association, granting a Motion for Summary Judgment in a longstanding battle with the City of Ocala, FL, over a public Christian prayer vigil that the city’s police force unconstitutionally orchestrated. As noted in the Court’s decision, “because the City conceived, organized, promoted, and conducted the Prayer Vigil, it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.”

Unfortunately, the City of Ocala has announced its decision to appeal the court’s judgment. The AHA is prepared to fight this case on behalf of our plaintiffs and the First Amendment until the very end.

“The American Humanist Association works tirelessly to uphold the Establishment Clause of our Constitution. We were very pleased with the judge’s decision last month and are obviously disappointed about the plans to appeal. We applaud the bravery, earnestness, and dedication of the plaintiffs who have been on this journey with us for nearly ten years,” said Nicole Carr, AHA’s Interim Executive Director. “At a time when the separation of religion and government is under threat from those who care neither for ethics nor for democracy, this is a critically important case that reminds the nation that our Constitution is still a bulwark that protects Americans against those who would prefer to have a theocratic regime.”

Plaintiff’s attorney Ayesha Khan stated, “Police departments should not take sides in matters of religion. The trial judge got it right and we intend to defend his decision on appeal.”

“The AHA scored a major victory in this case for democracy and the Constitution despite a tumultuous legal landscape for the Establishment Clause following the Supreme Court’s decision in the Kennedy v. Bremerton School District case in 2022. We maintain that the City of Ocala violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution when its police force organized and held a public Christian prayer vigil using taxpayer resources. We are undeterred by an appeal and will continue to fight in this case to protect the line that separates religion from government in our secular democracy. The other side — and others who would consider violating the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment — should continue to expect fierce resistance from us in court,” said Lily Bolourian, Legal and Policy Director for the AHA.

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The American Humanist Association (AHA) works to protect the rights of humanists, atheists, and other nontheistic Americans. The AHA advances the ethical and life-affirming worldview of humanism, which—without beliefs in gods or other supernatural forces—encourages individuals to live informed and meaningful lives that aspire to the greater good of humanity.