(JEWISH INSIDER) — A hotly anticipated Supreme Court decision on the case of a public high school football coach in Washington State who was fired for praying with his players after games could herald a significant setback for protections against “quasi-compulsory” school prayer, the American Jewish Committee warned on Thursday.
In the case, Joseph Kennedy, a high school football coach, is suing the Bremerton School District for firing him for praying at midfield immediately after each game. While Kennedy contends he was exercising his First Amendment rights and praying privately, the school district argues that he was acting as a representative of the school and players felt pressured to join him, lest they potentially lose out on playing time.
The conservative-majority Supreme Court is widely expected to rule in Kennedy’s favor. It ruled earlier this week in favor of religious groups to eliminate barriers to public funding of religious schooling.
