After a long legal battle, a high school football coach in the United States is now back on the job, thanks to a recent Supreme Court decision in his favor.
Washington state high school football coach Joe Kennedy, made headlines in 2015 when he was fired from his coaching position for praying on the field after games. The school district claimed that his actions violated the separation of church and state and were therefore inappropriate.
However, the coach argued that his prayers were personal and voluntary, and that he was not attempting to impose his beliefs on anyone else. He sued the school district, and the case eventually made its way to the Supreme Court.
In a 6-3 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the coach’s prayers were protected by the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of religion. and a US district judge subsequently ordered his reinstatement by March 15, 2023. The majority opinion argued that the coach was engaging in private speech and that the school district’s actions constituted viewpoint discrimination.
The coach and his supporters celebrated the decision as a victory for religious liberty. “I’m just grateful that justice was served,” the coach said in a statement. “I never wanted to cause trouble or make a big fuss. I just wanted to be able to express my faith in a way that felt meaningful to me.”
The school district, on the other hand, expressed disappointment with the ruling. “We respect the Supreme Court’s decision, but we still believe that our actions were justified,” a spokesperson said. “We remain committed to upholding the principle of church-state separation in all aspects of our operations.”
Despite the school district’s stance, the coach has now been reinstated as the school’s football coach. He is reportedly thrilled to be back on the job and is looking forward to leading his team to victory once again.
Kennedy was represented in his legal fight by the First Liberty Institute, a nonprofit legal organization that protects religious freedom, based in Plano, Texas. The Bremerton School District has also agreed to settle the attorney fees claim in the case for $1,775,000, and the agreement will be presented to the board on March 16. Kennedy and his wife currently live in Pensacola, Florida, but plan to return to Bremerton for spring football in May.
