IN-DEPTH: ‘I Fought the Good Fight’; High School Football Coach Returns to the Field After Supreme Court Ruling

Contact Your Elected Officials

A high school coach returns to the game on the first of September after the Supreme Court ruled in favor of his First Amendment right to pray on the football field.

Joe Kennedy, a twenty-year Marine veteran and assistant coach for the Bremerton High School (BHS) football team in Bremerton, Washington, was suspended in 2015 for his custom of taking a knee and praying midfield after games to offer thanks, whether his team won or lost.

The school districtโ€™s lawyers took issue with his ceremony of seven years and warned that if he didnโ€™t stop, heโ€™d be suspended, but Mr. Kennedy wouldnโ€™t be deterred.

โ€œAs a Marine veteran who fought in the first Gulf War, it really rubbed me the wrong way because I served 20 years to support and defend the Constitution,โ€ Mr. Kennedy told The Epoch Times. โ€œNow, Iโ€™m being told it doesnโ€™t apply to me. Thereโ€™s something fundamentally wrong with that. If I canโ€™t express my First Amendment rights as an American, imagine what they are doing to everybody else.โ€

Though it would have been easier to comply, Mr. Kennedy said thatโ€™s essentially whatโ€™s wrong with society today.

โ€œNobody wants to take a stand,โ€ he said. โ€œWell, I wasnโ€™t going to just sit back and let them demolish my rights.โ€

Inspired by the Christian film โ€œFacing the Giants,โ€ Mr. Kennedy started coaching in 2008.

โ€œJust like in the movie, I gave the glory to God after every game, and thatโ€™s what I did,โ€ he said. โ€œI would be at the 50-yard line and take a knee to thank God.โ€

Separation of Church and State Questioned

According to First Liberty Institute (FLI), the religious freedom legal organization that represented Mr. Kennedy, the school district lawyers had concluded that Mr. Kennedyโ€™s prayer violated school policy prohibiting religious activity intermingled with student activities and decided further that such activity โ€œshould be non-demonstrative.โ€

Mr. Kennedy had been offering motivational speeches to the students who gathered for prayer after the game.

โ€œThose speeches sometimes included religious content and a short prayer, but he never coerced, required, or asked any student to pray or told any student that it was important that they participate in any religious activity,โ€ FLI said.

Byย Matt McGregor

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

Trump’s Vision for a Safer, Cleaner Washington is Correct

Trump proposed relocating homeless from Washington, D.C.. Benefits include restoring order, protecting the vulnerable, and improving quality of life for all.

IL Gov. Pritzker Homes TX House Dems, Gets Torched!

โ€œTurnabout is fair play.โ€ Trump won and the Republicans took the House and now voting district maps are to be redrawn in the states.

EBT Recipient to MAHA: โ€˜Youโ€™re Gonna Tell Me I Canโ€™t Have a F***ing Dr. Pepper With My Dinner?โ€™

Dripping with indignation this woman is โ€œdumbfoundedโ€ that she can't purchase Dr. Pepper and brownies with her government-issued EBT card.

A.G. Bill Barr Advised How to Prosecute Trump? Part 2

We last reported on a whistleblower on Project Veritas...

Trump Is World Peacemaker, United Nations Is A Disgrace

The major force for peace in the world today is Trump. He has accomplished more to end wars and save lives than UN, โ€œthe worldโ€™s best hope for peace.โ€

Fed Official Says Latest Jobs Data Supports 3 Rate Cuts in 2025

One of the Federal Reserve governors said recent job data backs up her position that three interest rate cuts should be instituted in 2025.

Pilot Program Aims to Teach Kids the Value and Potential of Money

Middle School MBA focuses on business economics and is modeled after grad school degree programs scaled to appropriate age group.

European Leaders Call for Protection of Ukraine as Trump Set to Meet Putin

Coalition of European leaders released statement stressing need to ensure European and Ukrainian interests are protected during talks ending conflict.

DHS Remembers Victims of Serious Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants

Dept of Homeland Security on Aug. 6 commemorated the victims of fatalities and serious crimes committed this year by illegal immigrants in the US.

Trump Activates National Guard, Federalizes Police in Washington

President Donald Trump announced he will activate hundreds of National Guard troops to be in the nationโ€™s capital to deal with the issue of crime.

Trump Nominates Tammy Bruce as Deputy Representative to UN

President Trump nominated State Dept spokesperson Tammy Bruce as the U.S.โ€™ deputy representative to the U.N. with the rank of ambassador.

US Treasury Sanctions Members of Mexican Cartel โ€˜Los Zetas,โ€™ Including Rapper El Makabelico

Treasury Dept imposed sanctions against high-ranking members and an associate of the Mexican Cartel del Noreste, (Los Zetas) based in Mexico.

Trump Removes IRS Commissioner Billy Long

President Trump is replacing Billy Long as commissioner of the IRS less than two months after his confirmation, a WH official confirmed.
spot_img

Related Articles