SCOTUS Supports Rights Of Fired Coach To Pray On Field

[Rightguide]

High school football coach scores big win at Supreme Court over post-game prayer​

The court ruled that a school district violated coach Joe Kennedy's First Amendment rights​

By Ronn Blitzer | Fox News

The Supreme Court handed a big win to a former Washington high school football coach who lost his job over reciting a prayer on the 50-yard line after games.

At issue was whether a public school employee praying alone but in view of students was engaging in unprotected "government speech," and if it is not government speech, does it still pose a problem under the First Amendment's Establishment Clause.

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that the answer to both questions is no.

"Here, a government entity sought to punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance doubly protected by the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment. And the only meaningful justification the government offered for its reprisal rested on a mistaken view that it had a duty to ferret out and suppress," Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in the Court's opinion. "Religious observances even as it allows comparable secular speech. The Constitution neither mandates nor tolerates that kind of discrimination."

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/hi...scores-big-win-supreme-court-post-game-prayer

Sanity and the First Amendment survives

 

[Cobaltofdark]

Yeah fuck separation of church and state fuck that as long as its Christian we are a christian nation fuck the 1st amendment that's for Muslims that's sarcasm

 

[Rightguide]

Yeah fuck separation of church and state fuck that as long as its Christian we are a christian nation fuck the 1st amendment that's for Muslims that's sarcasm

Has nothing to do with that. The First Amendment states; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; and the First Amendment has been incorporated into state law by the 14th Amendment. It was illegal to fire him for exercising that right on the field. Now, if he had forced his team or anyone else to do so it would have been illegal. Simple concept, so come out of the dark and into the light, Cobalt.

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

Has nothing to do with that. The First Amendment states; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; and the First Amendment has been incorporated into state law by the 14th Amendment. It was illegal to fire him for exercising that right on the field. Now, if he had forced his team or anyone else to do so it would have been illegal. Simple concept, so come out of the dark and into the light, Cobalt.

You’ll also support the Muslim coach who prays openly in front of their athletes and pressures others to join in, right?

 

[ll74]

You’ll also support the Muslim coach who prays openly in front of their athletes and pressures others to join in, right?

It would be cool for any religious folks to pray together in their different religions and for the atheists to not pray and everyone just doesn't care.

I expect the Christian right to object.

 

[Cobaltofdark]

Has nothing to do with that. The First Amendment states; Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; and the First Amendment has been incorporated into state law by the 14th Amendment. It was illegal to fire him for exercising that right on the field. Now, if he had forced his team or anyone else to do so it would have been illegal. Simple concept, so come out of the dark and into the light, Cobalt.

Cant i just beat him to death with his bible I think that solves all problems

 

[Rightguide]

Cant i just beat him to death with his bible I think that solves all problems

You could but he might remember its admonition to sell his garment and buy a sword.

 

[mayfly13]

Cant i just beat him to death with his bible I think that solves all problems

RG talks posh on the Board,

but he lobbied for a rapist and a man who harasses women and is into watching women having sex with animals.
to be the ones deciding on women's future

 

[Rightguide]

RG talks posh on the Board,

but he lobbied for a rapist and a man who harasses women and is into watching women having sex with animals.
to be the ones deciding on women's future

And who might that be?

 

[BBanned]

You’ll also support the Muslim coach who prays openly in front of their athletes and pressures others to join in, right?

who pressured whom?

no one

fuck off

 

[jomar]

Problem was his players felt pressured to join the prayer group becuase coach controlled their playing time. So there's that.

 

[Rightguide]

Problem was his players felt pressured to join the prayer group becuase coach controlled their playing time. So there's that.

They did? Says who?

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

They did? Says who?

The players.

 

[ll74]

Arguing for the school district, lawyer Richard Katskee told the justices that the problem was not Kennedy’s quiet prayer by himself. Instead, Katskee explained, the issue was that Kennedy “insisted on audible prayers at the 50-yard line with students,” because he believed that the prayers “are how he helps these kids be better people.”

From https://www.scotusblog.com/2022/04/...field-gets-warm-reception-from-some-justices/

 

[IrezumiKiss]

Heh.

always praying to help kids be better people and not paying to help them be better people.

such low-effort energy from these sanctified schmucks. he could do the same exact shit from his bedside, what does time of day matter to God?

 

[ll74]

Honestly, if the coach insisted his players pray with him, then the ruling is certainly questionable. Will have to read it.

I truly feel that every religious person has a right to pray at any time they need/want, but that no single person (child or adult) should be pressured to participate by anyone in any way. (And specifically by the govt)

 

[jomar]

They did? Says who?

Yes, the players.

 

[Rightguide]

Yes, the players.

I'd ask for a link but it doesn't matter. He was praying alone and his firing was unjustified. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote:

"Here, a government entity sought to punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance doubly protected by the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment. And the only meaningful justification the government offered for its reprisal rested on a mistaken view that it had a duty to ferret out and suppress,"

"Religious observances even as it allows comparable secular speech. The Constitution neither mandates nor tolerates that kind of discrimination."

In regard to the claim of the school that the prayer was a violation of the Establishment Clause the court observed:

"That reasoning was misguided."

"pursuant to a government policy," he was not "seeking to convey a government-created message," and he was not acting in the normal scope of his duties because the game was over, he was not providing instruction or game strategy, and that he prayed at a time when he was free to do other things like "attend briefly to personal matters."

"Both the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protect expressions like Mr. Kennedy’s. Nor does a proper understanding of the Amendment’s Establishment Clause require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor. "

"the best of our traditions" call for "mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike."

"That the First Amendment doubly protects religious speech is no accident. It is a natural outgrowth of the framers’ distrust of government attempts to regulate religion and suppress dissent,"

 

[ll74]

I'd ask for a link but it doesn't matter. He was praying alone and his firing was unjustified. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote:

"Here, a government entity sought to punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance doubly protected by the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment. And the only meaningful justification the government offered for its reprisal rested on a mistaken view that it had a duty to ferret out and suppress,"

"Religious observances even as it allows comparable secular speech. The Constitution neither mandates nor tolerates that kind of discrimination."

In regard to the claim of the school that the prayer was a violation of the Establishment Clause the court observed:

"That reasoning was misguided."

"pursuant to a government policy," he was not "seeking to convey a government-created message," and he was not acting in the normal scope of his duties because the game was over, he was not providing instruction or game strategy, and that he prayed at a time when he was free to do other things like "attend briefly to personal matters."

"Both the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protect expressions like Mr. Kennedy’s. Nor does a proper understanding of the Amendment’s Establishment Clause require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor. "

"the best of our traditions" call for "mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike."

"That the First Amendment doubly protects religious speech is no accident. It is a natural outgrowth of the framers’ distrust of government attempts to regulate religion and suppress dissent,"

YeS, they left out the paper about the players.

 

[ll74]

Btw, this was no private prayer

https://twitter.com/x/status/1541427166797340674

 

[ll74]

So now we have a SCOTUS that blatantly lies in its rulings. Nice

 

[SgtSpiderMan]

I'd ask for a link but it doesn't matter. He was praying alone and his firing was unjustified. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote:

"Here, a government entity sought to punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance doubly protected by the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment. And the only meaningful justification the government offered for its reprisal rested on a mistaken view that it had a duty to ferret out and suppress,"

"Religious observances even as it allows comparable secular speech. The Constitution neither mandates nor tolerates that kind of discrimination."

In regard to the claim of the school that the prayer was a violation of the Establishment Clause the court observed:

"That reasoning was misguided."

"pursuant to a government policy," he was not "seeking to convey a government-created message," and he was not acting in the normal scope of his duties because the game was over, he was not providing instruction or game strategy, and that he prayed at a time when he was free to do other things like "attend briefly to personal matters."

"Both the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protect expressions like Mr. Kennedy’s. Nor does a proper understanding of the Amendment’s Establishment Clause require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor. "

"the best of our traditions" call for "mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike."

"That the First Amendment doubly protects religious speech is no accident. It is a natural outgrowth of the framers’ distrust of government attempts to regulate religion and suppress dissent,"

The court case literally says players joined him. It’s an incontestable fact that he was not alone.

 

[LincolnDuncan]

I have to wonder if the court would have come to the same conclusion if the coach was wiccan

 

[ll74]

The court case literally says players joined him. It’s an incontestable fact that he was not alone.

And yet they also said this

, a government entity sought to punish an individual for engaging in a brief, quiet, personal religious observance

 

[phrodeau]

Can players kneel for the National Anthem yet?