An assistant football coach for a Washington high school is back coaching after being fired eight years ago for praying and kneeling to God at the 50-yard line at the end of games.
Joe Kennedy sued Bremerton School District after being fired in 2015 — settling his lawsuit for $1,775,000, KOMO News reported. The United States Supreme Court sided with Kennedy in that the high school and school district violated his first amendment right to freedom of religion and freedom of speech. The case went to the Supreme Court twice.
Coach Joe Kennedy takes a knee in front of the U.S. Supreme Court after his legal case, Kennedy vs. Bremerton School District, was argued before the court on April 25, 2022, in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Kennedy, reinstated to his position by a court order, said he’s a little anxious about returning to the team.
“I’m a little nervous, to tell you the truth, and it’s more just because first game is coming up and it’s been… I got to get… knock the rust off. It’s been awhile,” Kennedy told KOMO News “I know Sept. 1 (the first game of the season) is what I’ve asked for to be able to be a coach and be able to take a knee after the game. Thankful for it. That’s all I ever asked for. Anything beyond that, it’s just gonna be gravy.”
No matter if the Bremerton Knights won or lost — after every game — Coach Kennedy would take a knee in prayer.
“That’s my tradition; that’s what I’ll do,” Kennedy said. “I’ll be just as good, really makes no difference. God doesn’t care, but I want to be thankful. I don’t know if I’ll be able to stand after the game. I might be a little emotional about it and taking a knee might be a good thing.”
KOMO Staff reported:
The school district told KOMO News the guidance is already set out, not just for Kennedy but for every employee of the district. The district told KOMO it will “treat Mr. Kennedy’s personal religious conduct the same way the district treats all other personal conduct by coaches at football games.” Bremerton School District Policy outlines how and when coaches and other supervisors may engage in personal conduct (such as prayer) while on duty.
At the end of the day, Kennedy said he was there to coach football and would only talk about his faith in God if one of his players broached the subject. In addition to being a coach, Kennedy is an author. His new book Average Joe: The Coach Joe Kennedy — a memoir to his “troubled youth, what he learned in the Marines, the lessons he instills in his players, his faith in God, and his love for his family” — is available for preorder on Amazon.
School censorship has been a growing issue. In May, Breitbart News reported a Massachusetts middle school student was suing his school for making him remove a T-shirt which had the phrase “There are only two genders” written on it.