The Freedom From Religion Foundation is demanding Birmingham police stop on-duty prayer at gatherings.(BPD on X)
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging the Birmingham Police Department to stop what it calls the “unconstitutional practice of holding department-funded coercive religious ceremonies.”
The group, based in Madison, Wisconsin, released a statement Wednesday said multiple concerned Birmingham residents, including a department employee, have informed the state/church watchdog that the department regularly invites a pastor from the local Baptist church to “proselytize, read bible passages and lead devotionals and prayers during mandatory staff roll calls.”
The group said the main complainant reported that when the pastor is not there, another officer leads a Christian prayer for all employees in attendance.
“The complainant reported feeling uncomfortable being required to participate in religious worship as part of their job,’ FFR said. “The department has bragged about this department-sponsored religious coercion on official social media pages.”
Birmingham police deferred comment to the Birmingham Mayor’s Office. Efforts to obtain comment from city officials were not immediately successful.
The group included an April 17 post on X by the department that read: “We’re starting Wednesday with Roll Call at West Precinct. Each day our officers come together to receive their assignments for duty and to pray for a safe shift before they go out and serve Birmingham. Our officers enjoy this time with one another.”
FFR is asking the department to refrain from including religious worship, bible readings, devotionals or prayer at future staff meetings in order to respect the First Amendment rights of all Department employees,” FFRF Staff Attorney Chris Line wrote into a letter to Birmingham Police Chief Scott Thurmond.
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The First Amendment’s Establishment Clause — which protects Americans’ religious freedom by ensuring the continued separation of religion and government — dictates that the government cannot in any way show favoritism toward religion or coerce belief or participation in religion. Department employees are free to pray privately or to worship on their own time, in their own way. However, religious worship cannot be imposed on all employee, FFR wrote.
“This coercive practice excludes and alienates those employees who are among the nearly 30 percent of adult Americans who are religiously unaffiliated, as well as the additional 6 percent of Americans adhering to non-Christian faiths,’’ according to the statement. “In order to respect the First Amendment, the department must immediately end this unconstitutional practice.”
“An open profession of Christianity or any religion from an entity sworn to serve and protect is unconstitutional and divisive,” says FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “The Birmingham Police Department serves all of the town residents, not just Christians.”
In March, the group sent a letter of complaint to Oak Grove High School in west Jefferson County, alleging religious coercion on the football team.
The religious motto, “God, Team, Me,” has been posted in the team’s locker room and official team shirts, according to the group’s complaint.
The group earlier this year credited itself for having a biblical verse painted on the side of a dugout removed by the Mobile County School System.
In 2023, the group criticized Auburn University for an event which featured head football coach Hugh Freeze and other prominent Auburn figures baptizing students.
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