High School Football Coach Resigns, Claiming Retaliation for Praying on Field
Summary from AllSides News Team
On Wednesday, assistant football coach Joe Kennedy resigned from his position at Bremerton High School in Washington state, claiming retaliation for praying on the field after football games.
Key Details: Kennedy resigned after only one game into the high school's football season after being reinstated. Kennedy had been suspended and later fired in 2015 for praying on the field. Following a lawsuit against the school, the Supreme Court affirmed his right to bend a knee in silent prayer after football games last year.
Key Quote: In a resignation letter, Kennedy said, “It is apparent that the reinstatement ordered by the Supreme Court will not be fully followed after a series of actions meant to diminish my role and single me out in what I can only believe is retaliation by the school district.”
How the Media Covered it: Both left- and right-rated sources noted that Kennedy recently indicated that he might not stick around on the job for long.
Featured Coverage of this Story
From the Right
Coach Joe Kennedy Resigns After First Football Game Back Following Court Win; Lawyers Cite ‘Retaliation’ Against Him as Reason
After a Supreme Court victory and being reinstated to his football coaching position, Joe Kennedy has submitted a letter of resignation to the Bremerton School District in Washington state.
“We have come to learn of serious allegations of retaliation against coach Kennedy by the Bremerton School District,” Hiram Sasser, executive general counsel at First Liberty Institute, said in a statement Wednesday afternoon.
“They’ve done everything they can to make him feel unwelcome,” Sasser said, adding that First Liberty Institute, the legal organization that represented Kennedy throughout his legal battle, is “going to...
From the Center
Praying Bremerton football coach Joe Kennedy quits, claims retaliation
After winning a U.S. Supreme Court case to get his coaching job back and igniting a firestorm over praying in public schools, Joe Kennedy resigned only one game into Bremerton High School’s football season.
Kennedy, already back in Pensacola, Fla., where he and his wife have lived for three years, said he emailed his resignation at 4 a.m. Wednesday due to a family health situation and what he described as a deteriorating situation at the Bremerton School District.
“I’m done,” he said.
Kennedy’s resignation is pending School Board approval at...
From the Left
High school football assistant fired for praying on field, then backed by the Supreme Court, resigns
An assistant football coach in Washington state who lost his job after he prayed on the field following games and then got it back because of a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year, resigned Wednesday with the promise he’ll continue to fight for religious liberty.
Joe Kennedy, a varsity coach at Bremerton High School, lost his job in 2015 and fought a yearslong legal battle to get it back.
In a statement on his website, Kennedy cited several reasons for stepping down, including taking care of a sick family member. He also said he will continue...
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