On June 27, local time, the U.S. Supreme Court once again made a shocking ruling: Coaches have the right to lead players to pray publicly on the court..
The justices ruled 6-3 that a Seattle high school violated the First Amendment by firing its football coach for praying after a game.
This is another victory for conservatives in a case related to religious freedom after the overturning of abortion rights. This decision will set a precedent for similar cases across the country and may increase the acceptance of religious expression in public schools .
Fired for praying after the game, causing controversy
The case originated in 2015, US Marine Corps retired Kennedy (Joseph Kennedy), since 2008, has served as a public school in the Seattle area - Bremerton High School Assistant coach for the football team.
Source: The Seattle Times
Inspired by the movie "Never Give Up " (Facing the Giants), Kennedy decided to imitate the protagonist. After every football game, after the players and coaches shook hands at midfield, he came to the center of the field and stood alone. Kneel down and pray to God.
At first, Kennedy prayed alone at the 50-yard line. Gradually, students joined him. He also began to deliver some short inspirational speeches involving religion during prayers, or lead students to pray in the locker room.
As a devout Christian, Kennedy believes that the purpose of prayer is to thank God for protecting the safety of the players and for God’s gift to the team’s performance.
Picture source Seattle Times
However, complaints from parents and the public came one after another. The school district where the school is located sent a letter informing him that his behavior was suspected of forcibly interfering with students' personal religious freedom and must stop.
The school district also suggested to Kennedy that if prayers must be held, it would be best to do them privately before or after the game, or wait on the court after everyone has left, while students decide whether to join in voluntarily.
But Kennedy flatly refused and invited reporters and a state legislator to watch.
Kennedy was suspended with pay by the school after school personnel witnessed him praying with players three times (on the court and in the locker room).
After the 2015 season, the school evaluated Kennedy's performance poorly and did not continue to sign with him.
Kennedy subsequently sued the school, accusing the school of violating his rights to free speech and religious freedom.
Kennedy left the court accompanied by his lawyer. Picture source: Associated Press
The lawsuit went all the way to the Supreme Court, which took a total of 6 years. Previous rulings, including those of lower federal courts, ruled that Kennedy lost the case.
A lower federal court said that Kennedy was acting as a public official and therefore his actions were not protected by the First Amendment when he chose to pray in such a prominent place in the center of the stadium before the crowd had dispersed.
The ruling draws on past Supreme Court rulings that when public officials act in a public capacity, they are acting more on behalf of the government than on behalf of themselves.
is intended to break the " separation of church and state "
Eventually, the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court.
Faced with the case, the justices must grapple with the question of balancing two rights: the right of teachers and coaches to free speech and religion, and the right of students not to feel pressured to participate in religious activities. .
In the court debate, the core issue argued by the plaintiff and defendant lawyers was: Was Kennedy's prayer a moment of thanksgiving with private feelings, , or an public display of his religious beliefs? His players felt compelled to join.
Source: The Seattle Times
Kennedy’s lawyers argued that he was acting on his own behalf and expressing his religious views, rather than acting as a spokesperson for the school.
However, the school's lawyer argued that since Kennedy leads the team, praying publicly will make students feel pressured and forced to participate in prayer.
Some people may also be afraid to speak out against it under pressure, resulting in managers receiving threats and hate mail, and even the team head coach being insulted by strangers.
Picture source Associated Press
On Monday, the Supreme Court sided with Kennedy in a 6-3 decision, ruling that he won the case.
The Supreme Court said Kennedy's prayer amounted to a private speech and was protected by the First Amendment and should not be restricted by school districts.
The court also explained why Kennedy's prayer did not qualify as a government speech, even though he was a "public employee."
Because his remarks were not "in accordance with government policy", "attempting to convey a government-created message", and "acting within the normal scope of his duties", the game is over, which means he has completed his duty to coach the players and is free Praying while doing other things is more like " simply attending to personal matters".
Source Getty Images
In the main opinion written by conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, he pointed out that the freedom of religion and freedom of speech clauses of the First Amendment of the Constitution protected Kennedy's behavior.
A correct understanding of the "Establishment Clause" of the amendment does not require the government to single out private religious speech for special targeting.
"The Constitution and our best traditions recommend mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression of religious and non-religious views."
Liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor said in the dissenting opinion that this ruling has important consequences for school districts and their employees. It causes harm to young citizens and undermines America’s long-standing commitment to the principle of separation of church and state.
"It takes us further down a dangerous path, forcing states to tangle with religion. The years-long lawsuit has finally been settled.
There is no doubt that this case handed down by the Supreme Court will have a profound social impact on issues such as whether American public school teachers can lead people in prayer, and how to define the roles between religious activities and public employees.
In addition, it also reflects the current status of the game between the two parties in the United States.
" The Washington Post " analyzed that the Supreme Court's ruling once again highlights that the Supreme Court, with a majority of conservative justices, is now clearly leaning towards supporting individuals' exercise of freedom of religious belief in public and no longer Insisting that the government must be strictly protected from insinuations of endorsing a specific religion .
This is not without trace. There are currently 6 conservative justices on the Supreme Court, which is enough to overwhelm the 3 liberal justices. Kennedy’s chance of winning the case happens to be in the hands of the conservative justices with the majority of the votes. Only by the previous After losing successive lawsuits, he suddenly turned around.
Image source Associated Press
Judging from several recent cases, conservative justices have shown a high degree of compassion in protecting the religious beliefs of individuals or groups, including using freedom of belief to defend epidemic prevention guidelines. The religious organization that filed the complaint.
In another June case, the Supreme Court also ruled 6-3: Maine Religious schools cannot be excluded from tuition assistance programs , a ruling that could make religious organizations more vulnerable Easy access to taxpayer funds.
With the major victories achieved by conservatives on abortion rights and gun control rights, conflicts in American society have once again intensified. What measures liberals will take to fight back will be a later story.
But as far as the current situation is concerned, the loss of liberals is the victory of conservatives. Some experts predict that in the near mid-term elections, the Republican Party will regain the majority of seats in the House of Representatives .
