High school football coach who was fired for praying with players wins $2M ... trends now

High school football coach who was fired for praying with players wins $2M ... trends now
High school football coach who was fired for praying with players wins $2M ... trends now

High school football coach who was fired for praying with players wins $2M ... trends now

A high school football coach who won a Supreme Court verdict protecting his right to pray on the field has reached a nearly $2 million settlement with the school district that placed him on administrative leave in 2015.

The board of Bremerton School District in Washington state voted unanimously on Thursday to approve the $1,775,000 settlement payment to attorneys for former coach Joseph Kennedy.

Kennedy will also return as an assistant football coach for Bremerton High School for the 2023 season, receiving a stipend of $5,304 for the season, the district said in a statement.

Last June, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the coach, finding that his right to kneel with student athletes and pray on the field after games was protected by the Constitution. 

'It is just incredible to know that I did nothing wrong. Everything I did was fine,' he told DailyMail.com immediately following the verdict. 

Joseph Kennedy (center) return as an assistant football coach for Bremerton High School after reaching a nearly $2 million settlement with the district

Joseph Kennedy (center) return as an assistant football coach for Bremerton High School after reaching a nearly $2 million settlement with the district

After losing his coaching job for refusing to stop kneeling in prayer with players and spectators on the field immediately after football games, Kennedy took his case to the Supreme Court

After losing his coaching job for refusing to stop kneeling in prayer with players and spectators on the field immediately after football games, Kennedy took his case to the Supreme Court

Following the district's settlement, school board president Alyson Rotter said in a statement: 'We look forward to moving past the distraction of this nearly 8-year legal battle so that our school community can focus on what matters most: providing our children the best education possible.' 

Kennedy started coaching at the school in 2008 and initially prayed alone on the 50-yard line at the end of games. 

Over time, students started joining him, and he also began to deliver a short, inspirational talk with religious references. 

Kennedy did that for years without issue, and also led students in locker room prayers. 

Then in 2015, the school district received complaints that some athletes felt pressured to join in the prayers, and asked him to stop out of concerns the district could be sued

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