The United States Air Force Academy says the school’s football players have a right to pray publicly before games.
The Military Religious Freedom Foundation complained about academy football players praying in the end zone after a game in late November against the University of New Mexico.
Undaunted, several Air Force Falcons prayed in the end zone before their December 5th game against San Diego State University.
Because of the complaint the Academy’s athletic department investigated and announced this week “The United States Air Force Academy places a high value on the rights of its members to observe the tenets of their respective religion or to observe no religion at all.” As a result it “found the football players’ actions to be consistent with Air Force Instruction and its guidance on the free exercise of religion and religious accommodation.”
But Mikey Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, said be believes the issue is far from settled calling the prayers offered by the cadets “a monstrous travesty and brutal breach of federal constitutional law and Department of Defense/Air Force regulations;”
In what could be an answer to the hyperbole from Weinstein, an academy spokesman told Air Force Times “The players may confidently practice their own beliefs without pressure to participate in the practices of others.”