A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Friday prohibiting the Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors from practicing Christian prayer during its meetings.
Federal Judge Michael F. Urbanski issued the order pending the outcome of a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union against the board.
The suit was filed last year by the ACLU of Virginia on behalf of "Jane Doe," who had contacted the group about the supervisors' practice of praying during meetings.
On Aug. 16, the ACLU wrote a letter to the board asking them to stop opening meetings with prayer that "explicitly refer to Jesus Christ."
However, the board continued to pray.
The judge also denied the county's request to dismiss the case, as well as the plaintiff "Jane Doe's" request to remain anonymous.
"Jane Doe" now has 30 days either to appeal the ruling or disclose her identity to the court.
"Every time the plaintiff attends a board meeting and comes in direct contact with an overtly Christian prayer, she experiences a recurring First Amendment injury," Urbanski wrote in his opinion.
The injunction is not permanent, but it does order the board to stop praying until the case is settled.
"This is an important first step," said Kent Willis, the executive director of ACLU of Virginia. "With a very strong opinion from the judge indicating that we are legally on the right track."
State Sen. Bill Stanley, the county's attorney, said he is not surprised by the judge's ruling. He said the board would respect the judge's request and not pray at meetings while the case is ongoing.
But Stanley was pleased that the judge denied "Jane Doe's" request to remain anonymous.
"We are pleased with the ruling and that the plaintiff can't hide behind the 'Jane Doe' pseudonym," said Stanley. "We believe there are very good reasons that the plaintiff should identify herself if she wishes to proceed with this matter any further."
According to Willis, the ACLU's next steps are to speak with the plaintiff about how to proceed. They requested she remain anonymous because of the hostile environment over the issue and because she feared for her safety if her identity were released. "Jane Doe" is a county resident who regularly attends board meetings, Willis said.
"Given the degree of anger this lawsuit has engendered in Pittsylvania County, we are disappointed that the judge did not grant request for anonymity," said ACLU of Virginia legal director Rebecca Glenberg in a news release. "We are consulting with our client about how to best proceed."
The ACLU can appeal the judge's decision denying anonymity, but if "Jane Doe" does not appeal or disclose her identity, there is no plaintiff and no case, according to Willis.
Newly elected supervisor Jesse Barksdale said the board will be stronger because of this issue.
"I'm not surprised," said Barksdale. "I applaud the board members for standing united in what they believe in."
Barksdale said it is important to understand and respect the judge's ruling.
County Administrator Dan Sleeper said he also expected these rulings from the judge.
"We just go along with whatever we have to do," said Sleeper. "Since we can't pray in the courtroom, being a Christian I will just pray in the hallway."
Pittsylvania County is adjacent to the city of Danville and borders North Carolina. Chatham is the county seat.
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