A Washington high school football coach says his public prayers won’t be silenced, even if it means he’ll lose his job.
Last month, Joe Kennedy, an assistant varsity coach at Bremerton High school was told if he didn’t stop praying at the 50 yard line after games he would be fired. Its something he’s been doing for the past nine years.
But after last Friday night’s game, Kennedy knelt again and prayed. The team spontaneously said The Lord’s Prayer, and supporters met on the 50-yard line and sang all four verses of Amazing Grace. News reports indicated that players from the opposing team also joined in.
The school district said in a statement issued Monday that Kennedy’s employment status is unchanged. School officials are reviewing the events of Friday night and are talking to the coach’s lawyers.
Kennedy’s law firm, Liberty Institute, says the district has no right to ban the coach from personally praying. They say he didn’t encourage or discourage students from participating.
Attorney Hiram Sasser said “The appropriate solution is the school should make sure the audience knows Coach Kennedy is doing this with the team in their private capacity. The solution is not to squelch or ban speech, simply explain it’s private speech.”
Meanwhile, the team’s junior varsity game scheduled for Monday in Centralia has been canceled. Kennedy coaches the junior varsity team and is an assistant varsity coach.