Former Bremerton High School football coach Joe Kennedy hopes to retain his job and his First Amendment Rights in leading post-game prayers on the 50-yard-line and filed a lawsuit against the Bremerton School District with Monday with the U.S. District Court.
The sparring between Kennedy and the school district made national headlines last year, after district officials put the kibosh on any organized public religious display or gesture at school athletic facilities, applying to coaches and players. With the status of his job threatened, Kennedy a devout Christian, initially complied with the order, but was compelled to exercise his constitutional rights and ultimately his contract was not renewed.
The tedious existence between religion and prep sports has endured previous clashes, including a football player given an excessive celebration penalty for pointing to heaven after scoring a touchdown in a semifinal playoff game.
While the fate of Kennedy’s career is now in the hands of the courts, the incessant assault on faith by pundits continues to threaten the very liberties and sanctity guaranteed by the Constitution. The next assault of freedoms of course will commence on the polarizing individual superstars of the NFL, who will be instructed to strike “God” from the interviews and cease any celebratory activity in the wake of an amazing play with inclinations towards a higher power.
VIDEO: The Coach Kennedy Story