Praying HS football coach placed on paid leave by district

Praying football coach placed on paid leave by district - The coach of a Washington state high school football team who prayed on games despite orders by the school district in order to stop are placed with paid administrative leave your own same time a great group regarding self-described Satanists said It planned to help attend the Thursday game to be able to protest your practice.

Joe Kennedy, Bremerton High School's assistant football coach, was put in leave because he refused in order to comply with district directives to be able to avoid overt religious displays towards the field, Bremerton School District officials said in a great report late Wednesday.

Kennedy has vocally prayed earlier IN ADDITION TO right after games, sometimes joined by students, since the 2008. But your own practice recently came on the district's attention, IN ADDITION TO The item inquired him to stop.

He initially agreed, but then, inside help by the Texas-based Liberty Institute, a great religious-freedom organization, he resumed ones postgame prayers, silently shipping an knee pertaining to 15 for you to 20 just a few seconds from midfield immediately after shaking hands by the opposing coaches. His lawyers insist he is usually not leading students throughout prayer, merely praying himself.

The debate in the school across Puget Sound west involving Seattle has were made attention for the role regarding religion throughout standard schools. Dozens of lawmakers on the Congressional Prayer Caucus sent a good letter your week on the superintendent expressing help for its coach.

"While your district appreciates Kennedy's several positive contributions on the BHS football program, IN ADDITION TO thus regrets ones necessity of this action, Kennedy's accomplish poses a good true risk that this District is usually liable regarding violating the federal ALONG WITH state constitutional rights of students as well as others," your statement said.

The district said Kennedy will be still employed AS WELL AS is actually paid through the remainder associated with his contract term unless his status changes. He won't be granted for you to participate throughout any kind of activities with regards to your own football program, while your own district said he can attend games like a member of an public.

Kennedy's lawyer, Hiram Sasser, called ones leave a great hostile employment action.

"It's surprising AND ALSO shocking," Sasser said.

He said they plan to help file a good charge of discrimination through the Equal employment Opportunity Commission, that will he said can be a subsequently step.

The announcement came as a group associated with robe-wearing, incense-spreading Satanists planned in order to attend Thursday's game. Senior class president Abe Bartlett said Wednesday The item he feel single of an few students whom invited your own Satanic Temple associated with Seattle, saying It was a great effort to acquire your school district in order to clarify it\'s policy.

"The main reason i did This is to be able to portray towards the school district The idea i think we Should either get a policy That we're not going to obtain virtually any religious affiliation as well as recognized religious practices, or they Should say a person are going to be permitted to be able to practice it\'s religion publicly whatever it is beliefs," said Bartlett, 17.

"They need for you to either go black or perhaps white," he said. "I don't think the controversial middle ground is actually what MY OWN school needs."

The Satanic Temple, which features 42 members inside the Seattle chapter, mentioned It from allowing the coach to help continue praying, the district provides formulated a forum pertaining to religious expression open in order to many groups. The item enquired permission in order to operate a invocation to the package soon after the game.

"It'll surely be a good theatrical production : robes, incense, when i get a gong," chapter head Lilith Starr said. "There are generally several students IN ADDITION TO teachers on Bremerton High exactly who don't am such as these are generally being represented towards the football field."

The district did not respond to a good ask comment Concerning the group.

The group doesn't believe with Satan except Just like "a potent symbol connected with rebellion against tyranny," That says on its website. It has the atheist group That rejects your notion of supernatural deities ALONG WITH espouses values including scientific inquiry IN ADDITION TO compassion, The item says.