In a motion filed Tuesday afternoon, lawyers representing atheists who want religious prayers stripped from next week's official inaugural activities submitted the 1952 Supreme Court brief filed by the United States in Brown v. Board of Education.

They point to language in that brief as evidence that the scheduled prayers including references to God demonstrate an unconstitutional preference of religion over non-religion.

The atheists highlight a section of the historic brief which quotes a 1948 message to Congress from President Harry Truman saying the government has a duty to protect individual liberties.