State rep. wants to legalize post-game prayer

Praying after a game became a major issue after a former Bremerton coach led post-game prayers after football games, and now a state representative wants to make praying on school grounds legal.

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Rep. Jesse Young (R-Gig Harbor) introduced a bill that would make it legal for coaches and other staff to pray on school grounds after a game, so long as the school day was over or on the weekend.

The law would impose fines of between $5,000 to $20,000 on districts that ban prayers to people who can prove freedom of speech, or that their religious rights were violated. A prevailing plaintiff would be entitled to an award of up to $10,000 for the first violation; a second violation would award up to $15,000; the third and each subsequent violations would award up to $20,000, according to the bill.

The discussion over praying on school grounds after sporting events began after Joe Kennedy, who used to coach for the Bremerton Knights, was called out for leading prayers with students after football games. After refusing to stop, the school district fired Kennedy.

Kennedy is now suing the district.

Kennedy argues he should be free to pray where he wants, and that the lawsuit is his only option to become a coach again.

“They didn’t renew my contract and gave me an evaluation that was all to do with my religious beliefs,” Joe told KIRO Radio. “The only way to become a coach again is through lawyers.”

“It’s a really important issue for me because this is a covenant I made with God — before I even started coaching, that if I became a coach, what I would do is give you the glory on the 50 after every game,” he said. “And it evolved to be with the kids.”

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