About this Case
A high school football coach in Bremerton, Washington was fired for praying with football players and students at the 50 yard line after games. Kennedy filed a federal lawsuit against the school district asking to be reinstated but lost. He then took his case to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, yet the court ruled against him there as well.
Summary of NLF's Brief
The National Legal Foundation, along with Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, and seven other groups filed this brief arguing that the Ninth Circuit’s refusal to recognize that teachers retain their fundamental First Amendment rights in many situations requires correction by the Supreme Court. No one is confused by the fact that public school teachers wear a private citizen’s hat, as well as a public employee’s hat. Teachers’ private citizens’ rights must be protected against encroachment by the state.