Joe Kennedy, the famed high school football coach who was fired for praying on the field and took his case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and won, has now resigned from his coaching position after only one game back on the field.
Kennedy was fired by his school district in 2015 over his practice of praying on the 50-yard line after games. He contested his firing, and by 2022 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that his firing was unjust and he had a right to his free religious expression.
Consequently, the school district gave Kennedy his job back at Bremerton, Washington’s Bremerton High School.
But now, after the school’s first game of the season, Kennedy has abruptly resigned, claiming that the district did not hew to the Supreme Court ruling and “diminished” his role.
“I’m done,” Kennedy told the Seattle Times on Wednesday.
“I knew it wasn’t going to be a picnic and it wasn’t,” he said, insisting that his “role and responsibilities” during last Friday’s game were “not what I signed up for.”
He blasted the school in his resignation letter and accused district officials of retaliating against him upon his return.
“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,” he said in his letter.
The resignation comes only days after his team’s first game of the season, after which he performed his 50-yard line prayer, writing on Facebook, “That’s another W! After an 8 year legal battle culminating in a win at the Supreme Court, I returned to Bremerton High School as an Assistant Coach last night and prayed at midfield, exercising my Constitutional Right. Happy to say we fought the good fight and finished the race. (2 Timothy 4:7),” he posted.”
Kennedy claimed he would continue to work for religious freedom off the field.
“I believe I can best continue to advocate for constitutional freedom and religious liberty by working from outside the school system, so that is what I will do. I will continue to work to help people understand and embrace the historic ruling at the heart of our case. As a result of our case, we all have more freedom, not less. That should be celebrated and not disrespected,” he said.
“As I have demonstrated, we must make a stand for what we believe in. In my case, I made a stand to take a knee. I encourage all Americans to make their own stand for freedom and our right to express our faith as we see fit. I appreciate the people of Bremerton, the coaches, staff and especially the students and wish them all well. Bremerton will always be home,” Kennedy added.
Meegan M. Reid/Kitsap Sun via AP
Kennedy has already moved back to Pensacola, Florida, where he and his wife moved after he was fired in 2015.
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