Post by Dixie on Nov 2, 2015 10:24:15 GMT -6
High School Football Coach Fired for Praying on the Field
By Ryan Girdusky | October 29, 2015
After refusing school administration’s demands that he stop praying after the games, high school football coach Joe Kennedy has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Fox News reported that Kennedy’s decision to silently pray after school football games was a bridge too far for Superintendent Aaron Leavell.
“Effective immediately, pending further District review of your conduct, you are placed on paid administrative leave from your position as an assistant coach with the Bremerton High School football program. You may not participate, in any capacity, in BHS football program activities,” Level wrote in a letter to the coach on Wednesday.
Kennedy had been employed at the school since 2008 and had made it a tradition to pray on the 50-yard-line after almost every game.
That all changed on Sept. 17 when he received a cease and desist letter from the school administration and was told to avoid kneeling, bowing his head, or doing anything the can be viewed as religious or endorsing religion.
While at first adhering to the order, Kennedy ultimately decided to ignore the school officials and said his prayer on the 50-yard-line where he was voluntarily joined by players and their families after the school’s Oct. 23 game.
The district tried to offer an olive branch to Kennedy saying he could pray as long as no one saw him.
“So long as your brief, private religious exercise would not interfere with your performance of your continuing duties as an assistant coach,” was the exact wording by the district to Kennedy.
Kennedy’s attorney, Hiram Sasser, said that the district was being hostile towards Christians and refused to meet with them.
It looks more than likely that Kennedy will sue the school for his right to pray.
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By Ryan Girdusky | October 29, 2015
After refusing school administration’s demands that he stop praying after the games, high school football coach Joe Kennedy has been placed on paid administrative leave.
Fox News reported that Kennedy’s decision to silently pray after school football games was a bridge too far for Superintendent Aaron Leavell.
“Effective immediately, pending further District review of your conduct, you are placed on paid administrative leave from your position as an assistant coach with the Bremerton High School football program. You may not participate, in any capacity, in BHS football program activities,” Level wrote in a letter to the coach on Wednesday.
Kennedy had been employed at the school since 2008 and had made it a tradition to pray on the 50-yard-line after almost every game.
That all changed on Sept. 17 when he received a cease and desist letter from the school administration and was told to avoid kneeling, bowing his head, or doing anything the can be viewed as religious or endorsing religion.
While at first adhering to the order, Kennedy ultimately decided to ignore the school officials and said his prayer on the 50-yard-line where he was voluntarily joined by players and their families after the school’s Oct. 23 game.
The district tried to offer an olive branch to Kennedy saying he could pray as long as no one saw him.
“So long as your brief, private religious exercise would not interfere with your performance of your continuing duties as an assistant coach,” was the exact wording by the district to Kennedy.
Kennedy’s attorney, Hiram Sasser, said that the district was being hostile towards Christians and refused to meet with them.
“We tried to meet with the school officials in-person but they refused to meet,” Sasser said to Fox News. “We were only able to have a brief hour and a half call with their lawyer, and the result was a letter banning private prayer just a few hours before last Friday’s game.”
It looks more than likely that Kennedy will sue the school for his right to pray.
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