It is the final play of coach Joe Kennedy's seven-year legal battle.
The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Monday in Kennedy's case, which will determine whether a public school employee is allowed to pray in front of students while on the clock.
Kennedy wants the Supreme Court to allow him to be a coach and thank God afterwards.
Kennedy lost his job as an assistant football coach at a high school in Washington state after taking a knee in silent prayer after a game.
Kennedy made it his practice to thank God after every game he was a coach.
Kennedy told The Daily Signal during an exclusive interview that he had a covenant with God from the very beginning when he accepted the coaching job.
Kennedy did not remember the first time he prayed on the 50-yard line, but he did remember giving thanks for what the players did.
Some players wondered if they could join Kennedy at the end of the game.
Kennedy remembers telling his players that America is a free country.
Kennedy's practice of praying after games grew to be a regular practice, but he was told by the school district that he couldn't pray anymore.
Kennedy agreed to end the prayers after no one filed a complaint. He told The Daily Signal that he never prayed with the kids again.
The coach continued to pray alone in the middle of the field after football games.
Kennedy said that they averaged eight to 12 seconds. Thank you, God, for allowing these young men to be a part of it, and for letting me be a part of it.
Kennedy was told by the school lawyers that he couldn't pray alone if people could see him, as he continued to pray on the field.
In an effort to accommodate Kennedy's desire to pray after games, the school district offered the coach several private locations to use for prayer.
Kennedy didn't find these options satisfactory as they required him to leave the field, walk to the designated area, and then return to his players. The coach said that it would take too much time to follow a game when he still had other responsibilities.
Kennedy was placed on administrative leave by the school district after he refused to stop praying.
Kennedy said at the end of the season that he should not be rehired.
The coach decided he was going to file a lawsuit against the school district.
When they told me that I had to choose between my job and my faith, I stood up and fought.
The suit has been in the court system for seven years. Kennedy appealed to the Supreme Court after the 9th Circuit ruled in favor of the school district.
Kennedy's case was announced by the high court in January. First Liberty is a nationwide religious liberty legal organization.
The Supreme Court decided on a very narrow question, which is whether or not a football coach can be fired if they engage in a private prayer on one knee at the 50-yard line.
Kennedy did not give up his First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate, according to Sarah Parshall Perry, a legal fellow at The Heritage Foundation.
Kennedy's case has been followed by The Daily Signal since 2015.
The high court has a 6-3 conservative majority under Chief Justice John Roberts, and that's reason for Kennedy to be optimistic.
The Roberts court has previously said that the 9th Circuit's understanding of the free speech rights of public school teachers is troubling.
The Bremerton School District is being represented by Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
The legal group responded to The Daily Signal with a written statement.
Mr. Kennedy’s attorneys continue to present a deceitful narrative to the court because they know the facts of the case, the laws of our country, and religious and nonreligious Americans alike are on the side of protecting students’ religious freedom.
The law is clear that teachers and coaches cannot lead public school students in prayer. That’s what makes this case so urgent—a loss would dangerously erode church-state separation, a core principle of our democracy.
Kennedy violated the religious freedom of his players by forcing them to join his public prayers at the 50-yard line at their football games, according to Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
While Kennedy was on administrative leave, the district issued a question and answer about the assistant football coach.
Kennedy can lead students in voluntary prayer, but why? Nobody is forced to participate.
There is no evidence that students have been coerced to pray with Kennedy.
The issue of Kennedy and prayer had shifted, according to an email from the school's administrator.
The issue is quickly changing as it has shifted from leading prayer with student athletes to a coaches right to conduct a private prayer on the 50-yard line.
Kennedy told The Daily Signal that he would still take a knee in prayer if faced with the same decision again.
Kennedy said that he would still do it even if he had to go through it again. I will not give up on the fight for everyone's rights. People should not have to worry about being fired for their faith.
The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision in Kennedy's case before taking a break in late June or early July.
Kennedy said that he was a little bit grayer because of the legal battle. It has been difficult.
In the third and fourth quarter of a football game, he said, you have to keep going.
The coach said that.
I don’t care how tired you are, I don’t care how painful it is. You’ve just got to keep going and you’ve got to finish, if there’s still time on the clock. That’s what I’ve always coached, and now I have to actually live by it.
The description of First Liberty has been changed.
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