A high school football coach who led his players in prayer after a game has won a $1.7 million settlement and got his job back.
Joseph Kennedy had taught at Bremerton High School since 2008 and had a tradition of praying after a game, according to the Seattle Times.
Students and players began to notice what their coach was doing after each game and started joining him, and he started giving talks with religious references.
The school district told Kennedy to stop praying and talking about religion after a game, and he was fired in 2015.
According to the Seattle Times, Joseph Kennedy, who has been coaching at Bremerton High School since 2008, has a tradition of praying after games.
His lawyer, First Liberty Institute, a Christian legal group, took the case to the Supreme Court.
During the trial, Kennedy said he was praying alone and his students joined him.
The school district said that Kennedy broke the Constitution’s prohibition against government officials promoting religion by having students pray and listen to his religious talks.
Below is a video of what Kenny has to say
The Supreme Court ruled that Kennedy was protected by the First Amendment. The decision overturned several lower court decisions in favor of the school district. All Republican justices sided with Kennedy, while Democrats voted with the school board.
The Constitution and the best of our traditions tell us to respect and tolerate religious and non-religious views.
Democratic Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote that the Constitution doesn’t let officials pray at the center of a school event.
Sotomayor wrote that students have the right to an education free of government-imposed religion.
Sotomayor wrote that the court’s decision “elevates one person’s interest in personal religious exercise, in the exact time and place of that individual’s choice.”
Some folks believe the school won’t treat other religions the same way, they did it because they thought Christians wouldn’t react. Check out the video below
Kennedy said that was great. I always wanted to return to the field with my children. “This is my 15 seconds after the football game to thank God.
Kennedy wants to move on from this difficult experience. He said he will pray alone and his students can join him in praying.
It’s illegal and unethical for public school employees to coerce, pressure, persuade, or force students, players, staff, or other participants to engage in any religious practice.
The Bremerton school board agreed to pay Kennedy $1.7 million and reinstate him as a coach at the start of next season.
It’s heartening to see Joseph Kennedy’s commitment to his beliefs and traditions recognized through this settlement. Freedom of religion is a fundamental right, and his dedication to leading prayers should be respected. It’s inspiring to witness the solidarity of his students and players who joined him in his post-game prayers. This case serves as a reminder of the importance of upholding individuals’ rights to express their religious beliefs, especially in educational settings.