SCOTUS Rules in Favor of Coach Kennedy Right to Pray

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of a high school football coach was fired for silently praying on the field after games. Relying on both the First Amendment Free Speech and Free Exercise Clauses, the High Court ruled that the Bremerton School District violated both provisions when it fired Coach Joe Kennedy for having prayer on the 50-yard line of the football field after the game. The Court also finally buried the court-made “Lemon” test, citing Liberty Counsel’s 9-0 decision handed down on May 2, 2022, in Shurtleff v. City of Boston involving the Christian flag.
In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, in 2008, Bremerton High School football coach Joe Kennedy made a promise to God that he would pray and give thanks after each game he coached, regardless of the outcome. Coach Kennedy would simply drop to one knee and pray for 15-30 seconds on the 50-yard line at the end of games to “offer a silent or quiet prayer of thanksgiving for player safety, sportsmanship, and spirited competition.” Initially, Kennedy prayed quietly and alone. After several games, some students took notice and joined him. If students gathered, Kennedy began offering short motivational speeches to players, ending with a brief prayer. Sometimes no players gathered, and he prayed alone. He did this for seven years without any complaints by school officials. Then in 2015, the school district ordered Kennedy to stop, stating his practice violated the Establishment Clause