Coach Joe Kennedy said that his constitutional rights were violated when he was suspended for engaging in silent prayer after each game.
Coach Joe Kennedy served this great nation as a Marine, serving for 18 years. He began coaching high school football soon after leaving the military. He was an assistant coach at Bremerton (WA) High School.
A person of faith, Kennedy committed to God that he would give thanks at the end of each game, thanking the Lord for what his players had accomplished and for his opportunity to be a part of their lives through football.
Kitsap Daily News
After each game, Kennedy took a knee and prayed privately for about 15-35 seconds. His players soon asked he they could join in. Certainly, he said. What became a solo practice turned into a tradition that stretched for seven years.
Then, an employee at a different school raised questions about the practice with the district superintendent. That led the superintendent to contact Bremerton’s principal.
To keep his job, Kennedy was told that he w0ud have to abandon the post=game prayer. One night, Kennedy turned around his car after leaving school and returned to the field. He knelt on the 50-yard line, praying alone.
Kennedy decided to continue praying after each game, which led to his suspension. After the season, the head coach recommended that Kennedy not be retained for the following school year.
Kennedy has since relocated to Florida, but he says he’ll return to Washington and his former job if the U.S. Supreme Court rules in his favor. The Court heard the case this week, and a ruling is expected later this year.
I wish Coach Kennedy the best.
Coach Kennedy’s right to pray ends where it infringes on my right, and his Pharisee-type public praying violates my rights.
Go away, man, and find a prayer-closet.