Washington Football Coach Fired for Praying Shows Up at Values Voter Summit: Why He's Not Backing Down

David Brody : Sep 12, 2016
CBN News

"Of all the things I could probably get in trouble for, you know, yelling at kids and making them do push-ups too much, or some of those kinds of things, praying is the farthest thing I ever thought anybody could be fired for." -Coach Joe Kennedy

(Washington, DC)—[CBN News] Abigail Robertson here with the Brody File crew at the Values Voters Summit where we just ran into Coach Kennedy, the Washington State high school football coach who was fired from his job for praying on the 50-yard line after games. He told me this morning that he plans to keep supporting his team by attending almost every game this season. (Screengrab via CBN News)

Coach Kennedy filed a lawsuit against Bremerton School District in August for violating his free speech and prohibiting his private religious expression. He is not seeking any monetary compensation in the lawsuit; he just simply wants his job back.
 
A lawyer from First Liberty Institute who represents Coach Kennedy told CBN News he asked to meet with administrators at Bremerton School District prior to filing the lawsuit to try and resolve the situation without taking legal action. He claims each time he offered, the attorney from the school district denied his request.

"I honestly don't know why the school district or their attorney would not allow them to meet with us," Mike Berry, senior counsel at First Liberty, said. "I think it's unfortunate that we've been forced into this position of having to file a lawsuit to vindicate his rights."

As for Coach Kennedy, he plans to support his team all season long, even if he has to do so from the stands. Coach Kennedy told CBN News in an exclusive interview what it was like to be there for last week's opening game.

"It was a little shocking at first, because I was standing there waiting for them to come up from the field, and when they saw me they were like 'There's coach! There's coach!' And they all started coming over and high fiving me," Coach Kennedy told CBN News. "Afterwards it was big hugs."

Coach Kennedy fought to protect America for 20 years in the Marine Corps before coaching football.

He says after seven years of praying on the sideline as a coach, he's shocked prayer is what led to his termination.

"Of all the things I could probably get in trouble for, you know, yelling at kids and making them do push-ups too much, or some of those kinds of things, praying is the farthest thing I ever thought anybody could be fired for."