After a community member reported to FFRF that coaches for the Oktaha High School baseball team in Oktaha, Okla., had been praying with the team, FFRF’s Patrick O’Reiley Legal Fellow Christopher Line wrote to Superintendent Jerry Needham to ensure that the district coaches end unlawful endorsements and promotions of religion to district students and employees.
Line informed Needham that public school athletic coaches cannot lead teams in prayer, encourage students to pray or participate in student-initiated prayer. On Oct. 23, an attorney representing the district responded to Line’s letter, informing FFRF that Needham had spoken with all the coaches regarding the prayer violation and had instructed coaches not to participate in student prayers.
