A Washington state football coach is returning to the field after a prolonged fight for religious liberty.
Last June the Supreme Court ruled that former high school assistant football coach Joe Kennedy had a right to pray on the field after football games, something the high school said he was not allowed to do publicly.
Bremerton School District said they were trying to avoid the appearance that the school was endorsing a religious viewpoint. As a result of continuing his prayers, Kennedy lost his job in 2015, but he didn't submit to the unconstitutional treatment. He continued to defend his First Amendment right to freedom of religious expression in a seven-year legal battle.
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The nation's highest court reaffirmed the right to religious freedom and expression in America with its 6-3 ruling in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District last year.
Despite the tensions with the school, Kennedy was eager to return to coaching last fall. A spokesperson for Kennedy said he was reinstated to his former position on March 8. He is set to return to campus when spring football begins sometime in the next few months.
“I am incredibly grateful to the Supreme Court, my fantastic legal team, and everyone who has supported us,” Coach Kennedy said in response to the ruling. “I thank God for answering our prayers and sustaining my family through this long battle.”
A $2 million settlement between Kennedy and the district will be presented to the school board during their public meeting on Thursday for approval, a Seattle newspaper reports.
“I am glad to hear that Joe Kennedy has finally been reinstated as a football coach at the Washington state high school he was dismissed from for praying on the field after games back in 2015,” Pastor Franklin Graham celebrated in a Facebook post.
Carrying patience, grit, and trust in God, this football coach confirmed Americans can successfully dispute institutions infringing on the rights we possess under the U.S. Constitution.
Convention of States is a movement of grassroots patriots seeking to empower citizens and their state and local governments. We are disputing the institution known as the federal government for its overreaching and irresponsible actions.
The right to religious liberty is irrefutable. Kennedy is an inspiring man that reaffirmed each individual's right to religious expression, and we can all be thankful to him for his perseverance in times of adversity.
Join us in the fight for an Article V Convention of States. Sign the petition below.
