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CHRISTIAN BREAKING NEWS: Prayer BANNED in School Meetings? Chino Valley Board Pushes Back! [#ReligiousFreedom #SchoolPrayer #FreeSpeech]

Is prayer at school board meetings unconstitutional? One California school district is saying NO. The Chino Valley Unified School Board is fighting to reverse a federal ban on public prayer, citing a major Supreme Court precedent in its defense.

Hi everyone,

A major showdown is brewing over prayer in public schools.

The Chino Valley Unified School District in California is challenging a federal injunction that prohibits opening school board meetings with prayer. This legal battle could redefine how religion and free speech coexist in the US education system.

The school board, backed by Advocates for Faith & Freedom, argues that recent Supreme Court rulings—especially Kennedy v. Bremerton (2022)—invalidate previous restrictions.

Will this challenge make it to the Supreme Court?

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The Chino Valley Unified School District has officially voted to resume legal proceedings and challenge the 2018 Ninth Circuit injunction that banned prayers at board meetings. The district has authorized Advocates for Faith & Freedom to file the lawsuit, arguing that the injunction is now invalid under the legal standard set by the 2022 US Supreme Court rule in Kennedy v. Bremerton.

The board contends that Kennedy v. Bremerton overturned sections of the Lemon Test (from Lemon v. Kurtzman), which the Ninth Circuit had applied to rule against Chino Valley’s practice.

Since 2010, the school board began meetings with religious prayers, which are often led by clergy or board members. The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a lawsuit in 2014 challenging the practice.

In 2016, a federal court ordered a permanent injunction forbidding prayers, Bible readings, and preaching during meetings.

In July 2018, a unanimous Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that school board prayers violated the Establishment Clause since they were held in front of schoolchildren whose participation was not voluntary, therefore failing Lemon’s secular-purpose requirement.

In 2018, the Ninth Circuit issued an injunction prohibiting prayer and religious references during open school board meetings based on constitutional concerns.

In 2025, Chino Valley is pursuing a legal reversal, arguing that the previous ruling is invalid in light of Kennedy, which broadened First Amendment protections around personal prayer—even in public institutions.

The outcome could redefine how courts interpret religion in school governance, especially regarding invocation-based traditions.

This legal battle could change school policy across America.

QUESTION: Should prayer be allowed or not allowed at school board meetings? Let us know what you think in the Comments section.

Prayer BANNED in School Meetings? Chino Valley Board Pushes Back! | Christian Breaking News!

Prayer BANNED in School Meetings? Chino Valley Board Pushes Back! | Christian Breaking News!