High School in Georgia Replaces Pregame Prayer with Moment of Silence

A Georgia high school is kicking off its football season with a moment of silence rather than its traditional pregame invocation for the first time in decades.

The Courier Herald of Dublin reports that the Laurens County school board made the decision to remove any official ties to prayer before football games at West Laurens High School to settle a complaint by a Washington-based group. The school opens its season against Thomasville on Friday night.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State sent the board a letter in May saying the school had violated the Constitution by broadcasting a prayer on its stadium's public address system before games.

School Superintendent Juliann Alligood said the board decided to replace the invocation with a moment of silence after consulting with its attorney.

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