<p>The Supreme Court will hear the case of former Washington state high school football coach who was fired after kneeling in prayer following football games.</p>
<p>Joseph Kennedy, a Marine veteran, was an assistant football coach for the Bremerton High School (BHS) varsity team in 2008 when he started a tradition of kneeling and praying after games. Some students later volunteered to join him. In 2015, a school administrator addressed the issue with the coach after an opposing team complained.</p>
<p>“I think I just might have been fired for praying,” Kennedy would later post on Facebook.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Tune in to <a href="https://t.co/mbVQNWAE0O">https://t.co/mbVQNWAE0O</a> at 8:45a CT. We&#39;ll be on the Court&#39;s steps and stream the argument. After the case is heard, join Facebook Live to hear from Paul Clement, Kelly Shackelford, and Coach Kennedy. It&#39;s a big day, and we want you to be part of it! <a href="https://t.co/4YTsHaXlTR">pic.twitter.com/4YTsHaXlTR</a></p>
<p>&mdash; First Liberty Institute (@1stLiberty) <a href="https://twitter.com/1stLiberty/status/1518522714797088769?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 25, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
<p>After an investigation, Kennedy was later placed on <a href="https://firstliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/20200722_Kennedy_Excerpts-of-Record_ER317-18.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">administrative leave</a> and barred from &#8220;participating in any capacity in the BHS football program.”</p>
<p>Non-profit conservative legal organization First Liberty Institute took up Kennedy&#8217;s case in 2016, and lost in both district court and at the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2019, the U.S. Supreme Court also denied the request, but four justices – Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh – issued a statement expressing serious concern about how the school district and the lower courts had understood the First Amendment rights of public school teachers.</p>
<p>The Supreme Court sent the case back U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton, who again sided with the school district in 2020, as did the 9th Circuit in mid-2021. Attorneys with First Liberty and Kirkland &amp; Ellis <a href="https://firstliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/FINAL-Kennedy-Cert-Petition_Redacted.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener follow noreferrer" data-wpel-link="internal" data-feathr-click-track="true">refiled</a> the case at the U.S. Supreme Court in September 2021 and the high court agreed in January to hear it.</p>
<p>“Today, nearly eight years after being fired for praying by himself at the 50-yard line after a football game, Coach Kennedy filed his final brief with the U.S. Supreme Court,” Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel for First Liberty Institute, said in a <a href="https://firstliberty.org/cases/coachkennedy/#simple2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> after filing a brief last week.</p>
<p>Americans United for Separation of Church and State released a <a href="https://www.au.org/media/press-releases/Bremerton-SCOTUS-Cert-Grant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> opposing the Supreme Court’s announcement.</p>
<p>“No child attending public school should have to pray to play school sports. No student should ever be made to feel excluded – whether it’s in the classroom or on the football field – because they don’t share the religious beliefs of their coaches, teachers or fellow students,” Americans United President and CEO Rachel Laser said.</p>
<p>Watch the full report from First Liberty below:</p>
<p><iframe loading="lazy" title="Coach Joe Kennedy Behind the Scenes Special | First Liberty Live!" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/t1sKvj5r5CI?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p>

<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<script async src="https://www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script>
<script async src="https://www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div data-widget-host="revcontent" data-pub-id="165152" data-widget-id="290588"></div><script src="https://delivery.revcontent.com/165152/290588/widget.js"></script>

Supreme Court To Hear Case About Football Coach Fired Over Praying

CONTINUE READING

District Judge Blocks California’s COVID ‘Misinformation’ Law

New York GOP Leaders Demand Answers For Migrant Relocation In Upstate Town

Arkansas Senate Bill Classifies Drag Shows As ‘Adult-Oriented Businesses’ In Effort To Protect Children

‘Subject To Felony Prosecution’: Gov. Kristi Noem Warns South Dakota Pharmacists Against Dispensing Abortion Pills

Ted Cruz Introduces Bill To Block Non-Citizens From Voting In Washington, D.C.

Ted Cruz Introduces Constitutional Amendment To Enforce Term Limits For Congress

News

A video goes viral showing a baby being refused his mother by two gay "dads". This is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will have an important discussion today about surrogacy. 

Hour 1

The Matt Walsh Show

Ep. 1765 - This Video Is One Of The Worst Things I've Seen In A Long Time 

The Strait of Hormuz officially opens for business (kind of), the Pope makes “shocking” comments on immigration, and President Trump promises UFO disclosure at TPUSA. 


The Michael Knowles Show

Ep. 1956 -  Pope Leo's "SHOCKING" Immigration Comments EXPLAINED

A false miscreed has corrupted our leadership class.


The Andrew Klavan Show

Ep. 1275 - Dumb, Dumber and Progressive

President Trump announces a 10-day ceasefire between Lebanon and Israel, a murder-suicide involving former Democratic Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax shakes Virginia, and France and Britain hold a conference to secure the Strait of Hormuz – after the Iranian conflict ends. Get the facts first with Morning Wire.

- - -

Ep. 2738

- - -

Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3

- - -

Today's Sponsors:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text 'WIRE' to 83848 to learn more.

Pocket Hose - Text MORNING to 64000 to get a FREE pocket pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of ANY size Copper Head hose. Message and data rates may apply.

Morning Wire

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26

U.S. Expands Hormuz Blockade & VA Fairfax Deaths Investigated | 4.17.26 [Member Exclusive]

A ceasefire goes into effect between Israel and Lebanon, a tragic murder-suicide rocks Virginia, and Dairy Queen deploys AI in the drive-thru. Get the facts first with Evening Wire.
- - -
Ep. 2737
- - -
Wake up with new Morning Wire merch: https://bit.ly/4lIubt3 
- - -
Today’s Sponsor:

Alliance Defending Freedom - Visit https://JoinADF.com/WIRE or text “WIRE” to 83848 to learn more.


Menu

— News —

Supreme Court To Hear Case About Football Coach Fired Over Praying