The Lewis-Mason-Thurston Area Agency on Aging (LMTAAA) is speaking out against a policy announced by Lewis County Seniors nonprofit board president Carol Brock that stated prayer and politics are not allowed at the county’s senior centers.
In a statement to The Chronicle on Wednesday, the agency wrote, “the Older Americans Act (OAA) does not forbid older adults from praying before a meal at a senior center or some other location that provides a meal with funding from the OAA. The Administration on Aging recommends that each nutrition program adopt a policy that ensures that each individual participant has a free choice whether to pray either silently or audibly, and that the prayer is not officially sponsored, led or organized by persons administering the Nutrition Program or the meal site.”
The statement came following a controversial article by Brock in the August edition of Senior Dynamics, a publication by DeVaul Publishing. In the article, Brock stated the policy was created to ensure “everyone will be able to attend our centers with acceptance and without discrimination.”
“They felt like they were at a church service versus coming in for lunch and activities,” Brock told The Chronicle on Monday, later adding, “We just don’t want to have prayer led from the podium and people feeling like they have to pray whatever that prayer is. There’s just too many faiths in this country and our country was founded on freedom of religion.”
However, the Area Agency on Aging took exception to another statement by Brock following a protest by about 40 people at the Twin Cities Senior Center on Monday morning.
Brock told The Chronicle the policy was based on recommendations from the agency, which she said dictates prayer must be done quietly and respectfully.
In the statement to The Chronicle, the Area Agency on Aging asked for a retraction of Brock’s statement.
“Title III funded programs may not use OAA funds (or local matching funds) to support inherently religious activities, such as worship, religious instruction or proselytization,” the agency wrote. “If the organization engages in such activities, it must offer them separately, in time or location, from the programs or services funded with OAA funds, and participation must be voluntary. This restriction does not mean that an organization that sponsors the Title III program (i.e., the contractor or grantee) may not engage in inherently religious activities, but only that the organization may not use OAA funds for such purposes. This information is a contractual obligation of any entity we contract with as well. Regarding this matter, the LMTAAA contracts with Lewis County Seniors for Congregate Meals. The comment in the article is a misrepresentation of LMTAAA’s role and the way we administer programs and is in direct conflict with the Older Americans Act Title III Congregate Meal Program regulations, policies, and law.”
In a separate document obtained by The Chronicle, the Area Agency on Aging wrote that it was working with its legal team to craft a response regarding the controversy. A letter will be sent to the Lewis County Seniors Board regarding the organization’s concerns.
“A message from the Lewis County Seniors, provided by Carol Brock as it relates to ‘No Prayer and No Politics,’ is unconstitutional and in direct conflict with the Older Americans Act,” the agency’s Executive Director Nicole Kiddoo wrote in the document.
On Monday, Brock and other members of the board defended the policy.
Read prior coverage on the topic here: https://www.chronline.com/stories/lewis-county-seniors-prayer-politics-policy-sparks-controversy,323341?
This story will be updated. Look for a full story in Saturday’s edition of The Chronicle and at chronline.com.
