Supreme Court sides with high school coach who led prayer on football field
The Supreme Court’s conservatives ruled on Monday for a high school football coach who was reprimanded for leading postgame prayers on the football field’s 50-yard line.
The 6-3 decision marked a win for coach Joseph Kennedy in his dispute with the Seattle-area school district that placed him on paid leave for violating a policy that bars staff from encouraging students to engage in prayer.
Starting in 2008, Kennedy began kneeling on the school football field after games and engaging in brief prayer. Eventually, many of his players joined him, as did members of opposing teams. This continued without formal complaint for seven years until the school told Kennedy to stop.
The coach went on to defy the school’s order and was placed on administrative leave. He later filed a lawsuit alleging the school violated his First Amendment speech and religious rights in disciplining him for what he depicted as a form of private religious expression.
The school painted Kennedy as having led a prominent public demonstration of his religious beliefs on school grounds. His influential capacity as a coach, they argued, put pressure on the football team — including nonreligious players — to join in prayer or risk their playing time being cut.
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Source: TEST FEED1
