During her second week at the job, a city manager of a small Tennessee town ends prayer services for employees during work hours

Mt. Pleasant’s city manager has asked the town’s chaplain to refrain from holding prayer services at City Hall while employees are on the clock, a move she attributes to the separation of church and state.

Michelle Williams, who is serving in her second week as city manager, said the request is not aimed at ceasing acts of worship at City Hall. She said any time before 8 a.m. or after 5 p.m. would be appropriate times for prayer.

“We have no problem with them praying, it’s just they need to do it on their own time,” Williams said. “So, I have asked the chaplain to come in before or after (office hours).”

Williams said she doesn’t think her decision will have an impact on the community and citizens should be “happy” about the decision.

“Ultimately, their tax dollars are spent to pay city employees’ salary,” she said. “I would think (citizens) would want them working while they are getting paid.”

Chaplain Jack Taylor, who has served in the volunteer position for about two years, said he has come to an agreement with the city over when he can pray with city officials. Taylor said the situation was a misunderstanding and he does not want to get mixed up in a church and state issue. It is important to pray for city workers and officials, but it’s at the city’s discretion to allow it during business hours, Taylor said.

Mt. Pleasant City Attorney Tom Hardin said the separation of church and state is a basic fundamental constitutional provision, and the city allowing prayer during business hours could be construed as promoting religion.

“It is my opinion that permitting or condoning prayer sessions for certain employees during the workday could certainly be considered a violation of that constitutional provision,” Hardin said.

When asked if prayer would be allowed before city meetings, he said those prayers are considered a tradition. It is customary to open legislative sessions with prayer and it is legally defensible by case law, as opposed to conducting prayer sessions during the work day, which is not, Hardin said.

City Commissioner Bob Shackelford said praying should be allowed if it is not a nuisance and does not interfere with the employee’s job.

“The city manager would have been better off to let this matter go,” he said. “If the fire department and the police department are okay with it … it seems like an unwise decision to interfere if it’s okay with the department heads.”