Making Our Children Weak—How Violating the Religious Rights of Teachers like Joe Kennedy Harms Society

From high school students to presidential candidates, people are acknowledging the constitutional rights of Americans like Coach Joe Kennedy—the high school football coach suspended from his job last week for praying on the football field after the conclusion of the game—to freely exercise their religion. But Bremerton School District doesn’t seem to get the message.

Advised by Liberty Institute last month that his seven-year practice of personally praying at the 50-yard-line after football games was constitutional, Kennedy continued his practice, even after Bremerton School District in Washington State threatened to punish him in September if he did not stop.

Despite a demand letter from Liberty Institute carefully explaining why Kennedy’s prayer is protected by the Constitution and court precedent, and offers from Liberty Institute attorneys to meet with the superintendent on amicable terms, the school bulldozed Kennedy’s rights with their off-base agenda—first denying Kennedy’s request for a religious accommodation, and then placing him on administrative leave just hours before his team’s last game of the regular season.

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Source: Michael Berry, http://libertyinstitute.org