Coach Who Prayed With His Team and Opponents Heard by U.S. Supreme Court

A case about a public school football coach who prayed after contests with players and coaches from his team and the opponent was heard by the Supreme Court on April 25, 2022. The district court and Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the school district; the school district suspended the coach after he did not follow the district’s prayer policy. Three first amendment parts are involved in this case that makes it a fascinating one to watch as the justices make a decision: 1) free exercise of religion and free speech, 2) Establishment Clause—does it block coach’s right to free exercise and speech claims and 3) could it be treated as a matter of punishment for government speech. These issues often run afoul of each other, and they did here. How will the justices vote here? As stated in the article: "Is it free exercise, free speech, a hybrid of exercise and speech, establishment, or government or private exercise or speech?" Read more from the Verdict here.

This article was submitted by Kyle Fairchild, Indianapolis Motor Speedway. If you would like to submit content or write an article for the Sports & Entertainment Law Section, please email Kara Sikorski at ksikorski@indybar.org.

Subscribe to Sports & Entertainment Law Section news here!