Brandy Knight and Corey Check attend the Wednesday, Jan. 11, Knoch School Board meeting, where many parents and residents spoke in favor of the invocation given by school board members at the beginning of each meeting. Paula Grubbs/Butler Eagle

JEFFERSON TWP — Ten citizens told the Knoch School Board on Wednesday evening they support the board continuing to include an invocation before each school board meeting.

The parents, taxpayers and prayer supporters used the public comment period of the school board meeting to thank the board for the pre-meeting prayer or for exercising their constitutional right to pray.

The turnout is the result of one taxpayer and Knoch parent at last week’s meeting challenging the constitutionality of the invocation.

Before the public comment period on Wednesday, Tom Breth, district solicitor, said the board has not asked him to render an opinion on whether the invocation is legal, but would do so if asked without charging the district for the legal work.

He said Supreme Court case law has upheld the right of legislative bodies to pray at a meeting.

“It is without question that public school boards are legislative entities,” Breth said.

People who spoke to the board thanked them for continuing the invocation, said the U.S. Congress opens proceedings with a prayer, reminded them the president swears his oath on a Bible, said they will remember which board members support the invocation when elections roll around, and said Jesus prayed publicly.

School board member Justin Kovach said at the end of the meeting that he was told defending a lawsuit by a resident who opposes the invocation could cost $250,000 or more if the case ended at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Kovach said he called around to local business owners, who pledged $150,000 to defend the invocation in court if necessary.

Attorneys at the Alliance Defending Freedom in Arizona told Kovach they would represent the district pro bono if a suit were filed against the invocation, he said.

Kovach pledged that if the invocation were eliminated from the meeting agenda, he would use his three minutes during the public comment portion of each meeting to pray publicly for the board and district.

Other board members spoke out in support of the invocation, including Donna Eakin, board president, who thanked the citizens for coming out to support the invocation and the school board.

Eakin asked if any board members are offended by the invocation, and board member Rebecca Boyd replied that she is not offended, but would prefer a moment of silence.

“I think it’s a personal choice,” Boyd said.

She said if a moment of silence were held, she would say a prayer during that time.

Boyd also disagreed with Breth’s contention that a school board is a legislative body like a township, city or borough.

An invocation was indeed held before Wednesday’s meeting, when board member Anthony Infante prayed for the district’s security team, teachers, administrators, students, school board and ongoing construction project.