Atheists and agnostics may sleep better at night. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is on the job. It has filed a federal lawsuit against a California school board. The suit charges that its meetings “resemble a church service more than a school board meeting.” The Madison, Wis., group claims it has more than 21,500 non-religious members nationwide. Does that lawsuit on the other side of the continent concern Lexington County’s 5 school boards? No, or at least not yet. “We believe Lexington District 1’s practice is in accord with the law,” spokeswoman Mary Beth Hill said. “On a rotating basis, board members are allowed to open the meeting with an invocation,” she said. “Some board members choose to open the meetings with a prayer. Others make more secular statements.” The county’s other school boards agree. Since the suit was filed in California, the FFRF says it has received “a heartening outpouring of requests” from parents and residents and “additional complaints about other troubling state/ church entanglements.” The lawsuit charges that the Chino board opens with prayer, which often includes bible readings and proselytizing by board members. Another board member, the suit reads, closed with a reading of Psalm 143. - Jerry Bellune