Coach Joe Kennedy parted ways with Bremerton School District on Wednesday after winning a Supreme Court religious liberty case in 2022 and returning to his position earlier this year.
Kennedy is the high school assistant football coach from Washington who was at the center of a legal battle after being fired in 2015 for praying on the football field. Kennedy didn't submit to the unconstitutional treatment but rather defended his First Amendment right to freedom of religious expression in a seven-year legal battle.
In June 2022, the Supreme Court ruled that Coach Kennedy had a right to pray on the field after football games. The nation's highest court reaffirmed the right to religious freedom and expression in America, and Kennedy was reinstated to his former position on March 8, 2023.
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However, reports circulated Wednesday afternoon that the coach officially resigned after his first game of the season. Standing solo for long stretches of time during last Friday's game, Kennedy felt like an 'outsider,' according to CBN News.
In a statement, he encouraged Americans to take a stand for freedom and our right to express our faith openly.
"I believe I can best continue to advocate for constitutional freedom and religious liberty by working from outside the school system so that is what I will do," Kennedy said Wednesday. "I will continue to work to help people understand and embrace the historic ruling at the heart of our case. As a result of our case, we all have more freedom, not less. That should be celebrated and not disrespected."
Here’s Coach Joe Kennedy’s silent prayer tonight at the 50-yard line after the game at Bremerton High School. I was there to capture it live in Washington State. pic.twitter.com/udMcAPuMgK
— David Brody (@DBrodyReports) September 2, 2023
"As I have demonstrated, we must make a stand for what we believe in. In my case, I made a stand to take a knee. I encourage all Americans to make their own stand for freedom and our right to express our faith as we see fit," the former coach added.
Let's look to Kennedy with appreciation today for his courage in standing for freedom of religious expression. As he noted, we all have more freedom, not less. Let's band together to ensure our government doesn't continue to infringe on our constitutional rights.
Using Article V, we can put the federal government back in its constitutional box by imposing term limits, fiscal restraints, and limitations to its size and jurisdiction. Kennedy took a stand, now it's time we do. Add your name to the Convention of States petition to show your support for personal sovereignty.