In September of 2015, Joe Kennedy did what he had always done at the end of each Bremerton High School football game. He walked quietly out to the middle of the field and knelt in prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to work with such wonderful boys. Often team members would join him in this show of devotion. It wasn’t mandatory or even encouraged by Coach Kennedy. Over the past seven years, no one complained about this practice, until now. News broke in the state of Washington that Kennedy had been threatened with losing his job if he didn’t stop offering his private public prayers. In a three-page letter from the Bremerton School District, the district forbade him from praying in public or mentioning anything religious in the locker room. They also banned him from kneeling or bowing his head in the act of praying. They cited that this was a violation of both federal law and school district policy. Joe was told that “Strict adherence is required and expected, and violations cannot be tolerated.” 1 …show more content…
All of a sudden, I realized that people who work for the public schools don’t have the same constitutional rights that everyone else has. I’m not a guy who hides in a corner and does a secret prayer to God. I’m very open about my faith everywhere I go.”2 In spite of the demands by the school district, Kennedy recently walked out onto midfield after Bremerton High’s homecoming game and was met by not only members of his own team but the opposing team members, coaches, and fans, who joined him in