DONALDSONVILLE — National organization Freedom from Religion Foundation sent a letter to the Ascension Parish School Board asking to end the practice of opening meetings with prayer after a parent raised concerns.

Hirsh Joshi with FFRF said there is nothing wrong with praying privately. The issue is incorporating it into official meetings.
“This is a member-led prayer during government time, on government property, by a government actor,” said Joshi.

Joshi suggested replacing prayer with a moment of silence or getting rid of it altogether to ensure inclusivity.

Ascension Parish School Board President Taft Kleinpeter responded in a statement saying that conducting an invocation at the start of meetings is a practice that predates all current school board members and that this is the first time a concern has been raised. Kleinpeter says that the board "maintaining a welcoming environment that reflects the values of [their] community is a priority for [them]" and that the board plans to look into the matter with legal advisors.

Joshi pointed to a case the organization won in California regarding school board prayers. He said the district had to pay more than $200,000 in attorney fees. He said finding an alternative for the prayer is more cost-effective.

“The solution that I’m offering in the moment of silence is cheap: zero dollars. It’s not the $75,000 after appeals or the hundreds of thousands of dollars for attorney fees.”

Kleinpeter said the board is in agreement to continue praying before meetings.

According to the school board's website, the next meeting is Jan. 7.