California City Sued Over Sectarian Prayers and City Chaplain

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has announced that it filed a state court lawsuit last week against the city of Pismo Beach, California challenging on state constitutional grounds sectarian prayers at city council meetings and the appointment of a City Chaplain. The complaint (full text) in Freedom From Religion Foundation v. City of Pismo Beach, (CA Super. Ct., filed 11/1/2013) alleges that over a nearly 5-year period, all but one of the 126 prayers were addressed to the Christian God, with 112 of those prayers being delivered by the city chaplain, a Pentecostal clergyman. The complaint continues:

The prayers advance and proselytize for Christianity. They distort and fabricate American history to further the appearance that our government endorses and supports Christianity, and they disparage non-Christians by claiming that not living in accordance with the Christian god’s rule of law is sinful and wrong.

... The City established a Christian Chaplaincy and appointed Defendant Paul Jones ... to that position eight years ago.... This chaplaincy is a government office with solely religious functions, and this City Chaplain receives benefits at public expense...