Praying football coach Joe Kennedy quits after first game back following Supreme Court victory
Asher Notheis
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Football coach Joe Kennedy has quit his coaching position at Bremerton High School in Washington state after completing his first game back on the job.
Kennedy was fired in 2015 for taking a knee and praying on the field after games, a “ritual” he told the Washington Examiner began in 2008 and lasted for seven years until school officials told him to cease his silent prayers. He sued the Bremerton School District for firing him, a case which culminated in a 2022 Supreme Court ruling in his favor.
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Kennedy’s resignation comes after he said he was leaving the door open on returning to coaching. He also noted that officials at the school were not “really happy” about his return. He coached his final game on Friday, when he resumed his tradition of praying on the school’s football field.
“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,” read Kennedy’s resignation letter.
In the wake of the court’s decision, the school district enacted a new prayer policy that allows coaches to worship on the field under the condition they do not invite anyone to join them. They are also required to be at least 25 feet from students when they start praying, according to a report.
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“The district has received Mr. Kennedy’s resignation and it is pending board approval at tomorrow’s regularly scheduled meeting,” read an email from school spokesperson Karen Bevers.
Kennedy’s letter stated he will remain in Florida due to the declining health of one of his family members.