Note: This story has been updated to reflect some changes made in the print edition. The original web story is at the bottom of this page.
BREMERTON — Immediately following the Bremerton Knights 21-29 loss to the Centralia High School Tigers Oct. 16, Bremerton assistant football coach Joe Kennedy bowed down on the 50-yard line to pray.
It was a controversial decision for him. Praying while on duty violated school policy, and he faced the possibility of being fired from his coaching job as a result.
He had intended to pray alone, and had timed his prayer at a point when he knew the Knights team members would be off to sing a post-game fight song, he said.
But dozens of boys with the Centralia football team and other supporters joined him on the field.
“I’m sitting there and I’m praying out there on the 50 and, you know, I got my eyes closed and I feel all these people around me,” Kennedy said after the game.
“I’m like, ‘I hope those aren’t kids.’ I’m sitting there and I’m just going, ‘God, thank you for this opportunity,’ ” he said.
Kennedy said he had no idea that members of the Centralia team were going to join him.
“I mean, that support is amazing. And it’s testimony of how great appeal that we have … It’s a universal thing that you just love the kids and, you know, raise them to be right and to become great young men in our society. That just proves to faith and solidifies all my beliefs that I’ve been doing the right thing with the kids … They support me,” Kennedy said.
“I’ve always taught my kids to do what is right, and if you have a problem with it you still follow the directions. But from there you can challenge it. And to be bold and have your courage to fight for what you believe in.”
“You know, I was really serious about it (his faith). It wasn’t a big dog-and-pony show. It wasn’t anything else. It was about my personal faith.”
Kennedy told the district he intended to pray publicly on the 50-yard-line of the high school football field after the game.
“It’s within my rights under the Constitution to pray,” Kennedy said. “And I was not going to include my kids because I would never jeopardize those young men that are out there, because that’s what this is about. And I wasn’t expecting all those (Centralia) kids to be around, either,” he said.
Kennedy said he spoke with the head coach of the Centralia team prior to the game and said that the coach and the Centralia players supported him.
The Centralia coach said, “Hey, my kids want to pray with you,” Kennedy recalled. “And I said, ‘Well I plan on doing a private prayer out there by myself.’ And I said, ‘I can’t encourage nor discourage your kids. I have no control. It’s your team. You do whatever you have to do and your kids do whatever they have to do.’
“And he goes, ‘They’ll just follow the lead of whatever your kids were doing.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be all right,’ ” Kennedy said.
Kennedy wasn’t sure what the outcome of his decision might mean for his future as a team coach.
“It’s very clear in the school policy I cannot encourage nor discourage kids (to pray),” he said.
“Whatever happens happens, you know. But I’m going to be bold in my faith and I’m going to fight the good fight and I want to set that example for every one of the kids. If you believe in something, it doesn’t matter if it’s popular. If you think it’s right, follow the process and do what you have to do. That’s basically what I was doing. My attorneys, they helped me through the entire process.
“I’m doing the right thing, and God’s blessed me with these kids and everybody in this community that has supported me … it’s really incredible. I’m just an average guy. I’m just some coach. I served my country and I try to give back to these kids and this is what it’s evolved to. It’s just been an incredible thing.”
Letters and lawyers
Kennedy, a Christian, began leading the post-game prayers with players at the 50-yard line in 2008, and also led students and coaches in prayer in the locker room prior to some games. He did so until last month when someone told him he’d be fired if he continued. The Bremerton School District, citing board policy and other court cases dealing with school prayer, told Kennedy to cease praying at the field.
Lawyers representing both the Bremerton School District and Kennedy have exchanged lengthy letters on the legalities involved in the issue. (See section “Legal files” at the bottom of this page to view the letters in PDF format.)
The district is represented by the Seattle firm Porter Foster Rorick, LLP, which focuses on public school and municipal law.
Kennedy is represented by attorneys with the evangelical Texas-based Liberty Institute. The institute holds conservative viewpoints such as disagreeing with gay marriage, and it has also supported undermining the teaching of evolution in science textbooks. It is headed by CEO Kelly Shackelford.
The district’s policy states students may pray at any time, however school district staff, while on duty, shall remain neutral and neither encourage nor discourage devotional activity in order to avoid state endorsement of a religion.
The Liberty Group argued Kennedy’s prayers were protected by the First Amendment as private speech that was not being endorsed by the district. The group also cited Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin and religion.
As of press time, there was no clear resolution to the issue. But on Oct. 19 the district released a statement: “At this time, Mr. Kennedy’s employment status with the Bremerton School District remains unchanged. The District is in the process of reviewing the events of Friday night; is in contact with Mr. Kennedy’s representatives; and will continue a dialog with them over the coming days. The District continues to hope that the District and Mr. Kennedy can arrive at common understandings that will ensure that the rights of all community members are honored and the law is respected.”
Joe Kennedy, left, speaks after the game.
Original story:
BREMERTON – Following the Bremerton Knights 21-29 loss to the Centralia High School Tigers Friday night, Bremerton assistant football coach Joe Kennedy bowed down on the 50-yard line to pray.
He had intended to pray alone, and had timed his prayer at a point when he knew the Knights team members would be off to sing a post-game fight song, he said. He didn’t want to embroil his players in further controversy.
But dozens of boys with the Centralia football team and other supporters joined him on the field.
“I’m sitting there and I’m praying out there on the 50 and, you know, I got my eyes closed and I feel all these people around me,” Kennedy said after the game.
“I’m like, ‘I hope those aren’t kids.’ I’m sitting there and I’m just going, ‘God, thank you for this opportunity,'” he said.
Kennedy said he had no idea that members of the Centralia team were going to join him.
“I mean that support is amazing. And it’s testimony of how great appeal that we have … It’s a universal thing that you just love the kids and, you know, raise them to be right and to become great young men in our society. That just proves to faith and solidifies all my beliefs that I’ve been doing the right thing with the kids … They support me,” Kennedy said.
“I’ve always taught my kids to do what is right and if you have a problem with it you still follow the directions. But from there you can challenge it. And to be bold and have your courage to fight for what you believe in.”
“You know, I was really serious about it (his faith). It wasn’t a big dog-and-pony show. It wasn’t anything else. It was about my personal faith.”
Kennedy told the district he intended to pray publicly on the 50-yard-line of the high school football field after the game.
[RELATED: Kennedy to resume prayers with football team ]
“It’s within my rights under the Constitution to pray,” Kennedy said. “And I was not going to include my kids because I would never jeopardize those young men that are out there because that’s what this is about. And I wasn’t expecting all those (Centralia) kids to be around, either,” he said.
Kennedy said he spoke with the head coach of the Centralia team prior to the game and said that the coach and the Centralia players supported him.
The Centralia coach said, “Hey, my kids want to pray with you,” Kennedy recalled. “And I said, ‘Well I plan on doing a private prayer out there by myself.’ And I said I can’t encourage nor discourage your kids. I have no control. It’s your team. You do whatever you have to do and your kids do whatever they have to do.
“And he goes, ‘They’ll just follow the lead of whatever your kids were doing.’ And i was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to be all right,'” Kennedy said.
Kennedy wasn’t sure what the outcome of his decision might mean for his future as a team coach.
“It’s very clear in the school policy I cannot encourage nor discourage kids,” to pray, he said.
“Whatever happens happens, you know. But I’m going to be bold in my faith and I’m going to fight the good fight and I want to set that example for every one of the kids if you believe in something. It doesn’t matter if it’s popular. If you think it’s right, follow the process and do what you have to do. That’s basically what I was doing. My attorneys, they helped me through the entire process.
“I’m doing the right thing and God’s blessed me with these kids and everybody in this community that has supported me … it’s really incredible. I’m just an average guy. I’m just some coach. I served my country and I try to give back to these kids and this is what it’s evolved to. It’s just been an incredible thing.”
