The Supreme Court has upheld a high school football coach’s right to pray and lead students in prayer during school events in a 6-3 ruling Monday. The coach, Joseph Kennedy, sued when he lost his job in Washington state’s Bremerton School District after he would take to the field to pray at the 50-yard line at the end of school football games. The school contended that Kennedy, whose lone prayers evolved into lengthier rituals that included holding up helmets from both teams and delivering long speeches, violated district policy relating to religious expression while performing his duties as an employee. However the court sided with Kennedy in ruling that the district violated his First Amendment rights under the free speech and free exercise clauses.
