The Freedom From Religion Foundation recently got a Kentucky school district to stop a public high school football coach from leading his team in prayer.
Last September, FFRF had sent a letter to the Bowling Green City Schools asking that Coach Kevin Wallace cease from having his team worship before games. The complaint included a photo of Wallace with his students in a prayer circle, as well as his quote in the local paper acknowledging that he was engaged in the practice.
“It is illegal for public school athletic coaches to lead their teams in prayer,” FFRF Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert said in the letter on behalf of the state/church watchdog. “The Supreme Court has continually struck down school-sponsored prayer in schools. Public school coaches must refrain not only from leading prayers themselves, but also from participating in students’ prayers.”
In a follow-up letter last month, Markert expressed concern that the school district had failed to take any action.
Finally, FFRF received a response earlier this month from Bowling Green Independent Schools Superintendent Gary Fields acknowledging the receipt of the two letters. “I have addressed the concerns contained in your letters and consider the matter to be resolved,” Fields replied.
FFRF is appreciative that Fields and his school district took the right course of action to remedy a serious violation of the state/church separation enshrined in the First Amendment, said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit with 23,000 nonreligious members, including in Kentucky.
