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Non profit church-state group Americans United for Separation of Church and State are appealing a decision reached by U.S. District Court Judge Charles Siragusa in August, which declared the opening prayer at Greece town board meetings to be constitutional.
The judge sided with the Town of Greece after two Greece residents, Susan Galloway and Linda Stephens, argued that explicit christian prayer before each meeting violated the first amendment.
Ayesha Khan, Legal director at Americans United, said the initial ruling was inaccurate.
"We think the trial court made a mistake," said Khan. Appealing the decision, she said, is a chance to get three judges to focus on the precise legal issue.
"We have strong evidence in the first amendment estblishment clause," said Kahn.
Joel Oster, senior legal counsel for Alliance Defense Fund, which represened the town, said he is very confident going forward.
"We thought the judge did a very thorough job. There is absolutely no evidence that the town was discriminatory against anyone," said Oster. "We don't have to rewrite our history because of a special interest group."
Both Oster and Kahn said they expect official oral arguments to be presented in the case by mid 2011.
Non profit church-state group Americans United for Separation of Church and State are appealing a decision reached by U.S. District Court Judge Charles Siragusa in August, which declared the opening prayer at Greece town board meetings to be constitutional.
The judge sided with the Town of Greece after two Greece residents, Susan Galloway and Linda Stephens, argued that explicit christian prayer before each meeting violated the first amendment.
Ayesha Khan, Legal director at Americans United, said the initial ruling was inaccurate.
"We think the trial court made a mistake," said Khan. Appealing the decision, she said, is a chance to get three judges to focus on the precise legal issue.
"We have strong evidence in the first amendment estblishment clause," said Kahn.
Joel Oster, senior legal counsel for Alliance Defense Fund, which represened the town, said he is very confident going forward.
"We thought the judge did a very thorough job. There is absolutely no evidence that the town was discriminatory against anyone," said Oster. "We don't have to rewrite our history because of a special interest group."
Both Oster and Kahn said they expect official oral arguments to be presented in the case by mid 2011.
