by Techno Fog at The Reactionary
On October 23, 2015, high school football coach Joseph Kennedy knelt at the 50-yard line and bowed his head for a “brief, quiet prayer.” The game was over and Coach Kennedy prayed alone.
It was a quiet, reflective moment for the coach to exercise his religious beliefs. The school district objected, informing him it was “unconstitutional.”
Three days later, after a football game on October 26, Coach Kennedy “again knelt alone to offer a brief prayer as the players engaged in postgame traditions.” Some adults joined him on the field as he prayed.
That would be his final game.
Shortly thereafter, the school district put Coach Kennedy on leave and prohibited him from participating in any capacity in “football program activities.” The school district said he had engaged in “public and demonstrative religious conduct while still on duty as an assistant coach.” No players had been coerced to pray with Coach Kennedy, and he otherwise had a spotless record. It didn’t matter – the school district followed the recommendation that Coach Kennedy not be rehired the next year. Simply put, he was disciplined for praying at the wrong time and at the wrong place.
This morning, the Supreme Court upheld the right of Coach Kennedy…
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