Supreme Court backs coach in praying on field after games - The Associated Press - en Español

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday that a high school football coach who knelt and prayed on the field after games was protected by the Constitution, a decision that opponents said would open the door to “much more coercive prayer” in public schools.

The liberal justices in the minority said there was evidence that Bremerton (Washington) High School Coach Joseph Kennedy’s prayers at the 50-yard-line had a coercive effect on students and allowed him to incorporate his “personal religious beliefs into a school event.”.

The decision continues a pattern in which the court has ruled in favor of religious plaintiffs.

In a statement, the Bremerton School District and its attorneys at Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, said the decision undermines the separation required by the Constitution

The school district said in a statement that it had “followed the law and acted to protect the religious freedom of all students and their families.”

Rachel Laser, the head of Americans United, said the decision “opens the door to much more coercive prayer in our public schools” and undermines the religious freedom of students

The school district’s attorney, Richard Katskee, said it is studying the decision and considering its next steps