Bremerton (Wash.) assistant high school football coach Joseph Kennedy has been reinstated after getting fired for praying on the field after games in 2015. Seven years after he was fired and the subsequent lawsuit for the termination, the Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the Constitution protects his private religious practice.
Kennedy says he never forced players to participate in the prayers, per Yahoo Sports.
“The coach sued after he claimed he was unjustly fired in 2015 for praying on the field after football games, an activity which he did for seven years without the district raising an issue. In 2015, Kennedy was notified that the district was concerned about his praying, which it claimed students likely felt pressured to participate in since it was a regular ritual. Kennedy did not require his players to participate in prayer alongside him although he gave the opportunity to do so if they chose.”
Bremerton is 6-2 this season and has a road game against Sequim (Wash.) tonight.
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