Wynne v. Town of Great Falls, South Carolina
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
376 F.3d 292 (2004)

- Written by Alex Ruskell, JD
Facts
Wynne (plaintiff) was a non-Christian who often attended the Town of Great Falls, South Carolina’s (defendant) town council meetings. The meetings always began with a prayer where one of the council members would name “Jesus” or “Christ.” Wynne asked whether the references to “Jesus” or “Christ” could be replaced with “God” so that non-Christians would not feel excluded. The council members said no, and Wynne began to feel ostracized and threatened by the council and other members of the town. Wynne sued, asking the court to order the Town to replace “Jesus” or “Christ” with “God” because using those names unconstitutionally endorsed the Christian faith. The court ruled in Wynne’s favor, and the Town appealed.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Motz, J.)
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