A former football coach fired for praying on the field after games has been reinstated to his old role and awarded almost $2 million in damages.
The coach, Joseph Kennedy, was fired by the Bremerton School District in Washington State after he refused to stop praying on the field. The district argued his actions violated the separation of church and state.
He Was in the Right
However, the coach fought back against his termination, receiving support from religious advocacy groups and filing a lawsuit against the school district. A federal appeals court ruled the coach’s prayer did not violate the First Amendment and his firing was unjustified.
Supreme Court has ruled in support of football coach Joseph Kennedy and his right to pray at games in First Amendment case. pic.twitter.com/lz4yFPvPng
— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) June 27, 2022
As a result of the court’s decision, the settlement reached between the coach and the school district includes back pay, damages for emotional distress, and attorney’s fees.
The coach’s case has been seen as a victory for religious freedom and sparked debate over the role of religion in public schools.
While some argue allowing prayer on school grounds violates the separation of church and state, others contend that individuals have the right to express their religious beliefs in public settings.
BREAKING: Joseph Kennedy, the high school football coach who lost his job in 2015 for praying on the field after games, will be reinstated by March 15, 2023, according to a report. https://t.co/CkP9nAlVxB pic.twitter.com/fL17K8kUxm
— NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) October 26, 2022
Similar Cases
The coach’s case is not unique.
In recent years, there have been a number of legal battles over religious expression in public schools. In 2019, for example, a high school student in Texas was banned from participating in graduation ceremonies because he refused to cut his hair.
The student, who was a member of the Nazirite faith, believed that cutting his hair would violate his religious beliefs.
In another case, a high school in Missouri banned a student from wearing a “Jesus Loves Me” sweatshirt to school. The student’s family sued the school district, arguing the ban violated their daughter’s First Amendment rights.
The case was eventually settled out of court.
As these cases illustrate, the issue of religious expression in public schools remains a contentious one. While courts have generally ruled in favor of individuals’ rights to express their religious beliefs, school districts often struggle to balance these rights with the need to maintain a secular learning environment.
This article appeared in NewsHouse and has been published here with permission.
