In a 6-3 ruling, the United States Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Joseph Kennedy, who claimed that the Bremerton School District violated his religious liberty by prohibiting him from praying publicly after games. The district stated it was trying to avoid the appearance of the school endorsing a religion.
In the majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch unraveled the district’s actions, stating that it was a violation of the free speech and free exercise clause of the First Amendment:
“Both the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protect expressions like Mr. Kennedy’s,” Justice Gorsuch wrote. “Nor does a proper understanding of the Amendment’s Establishment Clause require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor. The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike.”
Critics have argued that the coach’s actions were a public demonstration of his religious faith and his players may have felt compelled to join. However, ‘feeling’ compelled and forcibly being compelled are two different situations. None of the players were forced to participate in the prayer, therefore, such acts were private independent moments of appealing to God.
This was a tremendous win not just for religious freedom, but also for public employees, as it demonstrates that they do not give up their personal constitutional rights in order to live a career in public service.