Undue pressure
The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of a former high school football coach from Washington state in a case about religious freedom and prayer in public schools. In a 6 to 3 decision delivered by Justice Gorsuch, the conservative supermajority decided in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District that coach Joseph Kennedy’s Christian prayers after the games were protected by freedom of speech and freedom of religion under the First Amendment. “The Constitution and the best of our traditions counsel mutual respect and tolerance, not censorship and suppression, for religious and nonreligious views alike,” Gorsuch wrote.
But of course an adult in authority over teenagers is not just exercising freedom of speech and religion by praying in their presence. That adult is nudging the teenagers to pray too. That’s the whole point. The coach could just pray inwardly; doing it aloud and kneeling and in their presence is a hard nudge.
In a dissenting opinion joined by Justices Breyer and Kagan, Justice Sotomayor argues the decision rejects “longstanding concerns” about government endorsement of religion and “does a disservice to schools and the young citizens they serve, as well as to our Nation’s longstanding commitment to the separation of church and state.”
During the oral arguments in April, Justice Elena Kagan noted, “The idea of why the school can discipline him is that it puts some kind of undue pressure, a kind of coercion, on students to participate in religious activities when they may not wish to, when their religion is different or when they have no religion.”
To put it mildly. I think it’s all too obvious what kind of pressure it puts on.
Coaches have so much discretionary power over athletes — they can cut players, give them grueling drills in practice to punish them or get them to quit, deny them playing time, give them assignments that don’t let them show or develop their skills — and it’s all effectively unreviewable. If your math teacher gives you a B because he or she doesn’t like you, you can try showing the exam to the department head and have a shot at proving your case. Good luck doing that when the coach cuts you so their kid’s friend can make the team instead. (This is why I always hated when teachers could assign part of the grade based on “class participation” — it was ripe for abuse.)
Sure, some coaches who want to lead prayer circles won’t take note of and retaliate against those who decline to participate. But some will. And how many athletes are going to be willing to risk it? Especially the ones for whom the stakes are higher than just the enjoyment of playing, i.e. they’re hoping to get college athletic scholarships.
It’s really quite striking how deeply dishonest the majority opinion is in describing what the coach did. Sotomayor documents that.
In addition to Screechy Monkey’s points, in a team sport the pressure to conform is enormous. There’s the very real possibility that a refusal to participate would be interpreted, by the coach and/or teammates, as evidence that you’re “not a team player”.
Football coach: “Gather around, team, it’s time for our weekly prayer on the 50-yard-line.”
Conservatives: Yes, good. If any of the players don’t like it, they don’t have to participate. I’m sure coach won’t hold it against them (smirking)
Male teacher: “Class, you’re going to have a substitute next week. I’m getting married this weekend and will be on my honeymoon.. . .”
Conservatives (nodding): Yes, good, nice that a teacher is modelling good family values.
MT: “. . .with my husband!”
Conservatives: THIS IS AN OUTRAGE! THIS TEACHER IS SHOVING HOMOSEXUALITY DOWN HIS STUDENTS’ THROATS AND GROOMING THEM INTO THE HOMOSEXUAL LIFESTYLE!
or even better:
“Come gather round, Team! Great win, great victory! We must thank Allah, I know you want to thank the Prophet (peace be unto him) too, so roll out your rugs, take off your cleats and wash your hands.”
Parents up in arms that a terrorist is coaching their kids.
“But freedom of religion!”
“Not for Satan’s religion.”
In “the good old days”, this would be the point where the Satanic Temple would get one of their number working as a teacher to start prayer circles devoted to or some other occult icon often considered demonic. Because, if you’re gonna say that Jesus is just alright, then surely the devil is fine, too, yes?