Prayer at Toledo City Council?

TOLEDO, Ohio - A group out of Wisconsin wants the Toledo city council to stop praying before meetings. It's called the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and its members sent a news release to Toledo media Thursday.

The group got involved because someone from Toledo contacted them about what happens at One Government Center every two weeks.

The foundation's co-president, Annie Laurie Gaylor, told FOX Toledo that the group would want all prayer stopped, but if it happens, the group is citing court cases saying any kind of prayer would have to be non-denominational.

The foundation cites several prayers said before city council meetings that use the words Jesus Christ or are Christian-based.

Gaylor says praying inside a government body like this is unnecessary and embarrassing to some people.

This is just a letter from the group, not a lawsuit. The group wants the mayor's office and city council to respond in writing with the actions they will take to remedy what they call a violation.

FOX Toledo talked with City Council President Joe McNamara, who, along with Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, received the same letter Thursday. McNamara said he would forward it over to the city's legal department, and did not comment futher.