You probably haven’t heard about Kennedy v. Bremerton, a case on appeal after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled against Coach Joseph Kennedy, but you should have.
The Freedom Foundation of Minnesota joined other organizations in filing an amicus brief on behalf of Coach Kennedy, a man wrongly terminated for doing what he thought was right.
Here’s the background on this case and why it matters:
“Coach Joseph Kennedy from the Bremerton (WA) School District coached football for the school and believed that he would give thanks to God after every game – win or lose – for the opportunity to coach and for his players. After his very first football game in 2008, Coach Kennedy waited until the players cleared the field, then took a knee and silently thanked God for his players. Coach Kennedy continued doing this after every game for seven years and no students, coaches, or parents every complained about it. After receiving a compliment, the school (district) investigated and eventually told Coach Kennedy that he could no longer pray silently. He was later suspended and eventually fired over his silent, 15-second prayer.”
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals apparently believes that it’s OK for a professional athlete to “take a knee” before a game but unlawful for a high school coach to do so after the game has ended.
Read more here:
- Politico: Groups back coach at Supreme Court in school prayer case: https://www.politico.com/news/2021/10/18/pence-supreme-court-school-prayer-516191
- Amicus Brief: https://www.supremecourt.gov/DocketPDF/21/21-418/196692/20211018144109356_AAF%20Brief%20Kennedy%20v%20Bremerton%20School%20District.pdf