Posted on 10/11/2005 8:24:04 PM PDT by nypokerface
Oct. 11 EAST BRUNSWICK, N.J. — A veteran central New Jersey high school football coach has resigned after being told by school officials he could no longer lead his team in pregame prayer.
East Brunswick coach Marcus Borden was told last Friday by Schools Superintendent Jo Ann Magistro that some parents had complained about prayers Borden initiated at pregame meals and before the games.
After being told he would have to stop leading or taking part in the prayers, Borden stepped down from his position, just hours before his team's 21-0 loss to Sayreville that evening.
"I'm very disappointed," Borden said in an interview with News 12 New Jersey Tuesday. "Do I feel we were violating someone's rights? I don't think so."
But East Brunswick school officials think differently. According to school officials, the prayers violated the separation between church and state in public schools.
A spokeswoman for the district, Trish LaDuca, said students have the right to pray on school property during school events, but the prayer must be initiated by the students; otherwise it violates the law.
"A representative of the school district cannot constitutionally initiate prayer, encourage it or lead it," LaDuca told the Home News Tribune of East Brunswick. "Representatives of the school cannot participate in the student-initiated prayer."
During the television interview, aired Tuesday, Borden said what he was doing was not uncommon, and coaches across the state lead similar prayers as part of sporting events.
"I'm not out preaching, I'm not a preacher," said Borden, who has led the football program for 23 years. He has a 116-100-1 career record, and his team won the Central Jersey Group IV championship in 2004.
He is the founder of the Snapple Bowl, a charity all-star football game that has raised more than $150,000 for physically and mentally impaired children.
His resignation has divided the school community, with many students and parents supporting the coach.
On Saturday, a group of more than 50 members of the football team and some of their parents traveled to Borden's home and asked the coach to return.
Nancy Halupka, president of the school's football booster club, said she sympathizes with Borden and said the prayer tradition started long before he arrived at the school.
But school officials, who emphasized that they did not force Borden to resign, said some students felt uncomfortable with the prayer and their concerns should be treated with respect.
Magistro, the district's superintendent, said Borden's resignation won't become official until the school board meets on Oct. 20. She said the former coach can rescind his resignation at any time before the meeting, something Borden said was not likely.
"I believe that I made the right decision," said Borden, a Catholic. "I believe I made a decision based on principle. I believe that's who I am."
Prayers for the team members who care....
To the others......
There is no such thing as separation between church and state, and certainly the Constitution says nothing about it in public schools.
I don't know why "Congress shall make no law" somehow got translated into meaning willing people cannot practice Christianity in open spaces while others might be within earshot.
since some children were made to feel bad by the superintendant's decision, the right thing for her to do is to step down also.
So true...kudos to this man for practicing civil disobedience in support of his beliefs...we all need to follow his lead...this separation of church and state thing is getting rediculous...we need to be focusing on separation of education and state.
Absolutely!
I am so damn sick of atheist's and anti-Christian's crap I could scream.
I'll bet the students that complained weren't even on the team! And even if you were on the team yo were NOT obligated to pray.
Good for him. If all the Christians shrugged?
...But school officials, who emphasized that they did not force Borden to resign...
Baloney. Do you think if he continued to pray at meals and what that the school district would have continued to employ him? Nope.
It was either bend over or resign. This guy is a man of principle and should be applauded.
If he keeps getting all the kids to pray, who will have sex with the English teachers?
Yessir, he could have lead a prayer of apology to Mother Earth for tearing up her lawn with football cleats, that would be just fine! /s
How can you say such a thing. It's right there in the constitution ... listed right after the right to perform sodomy and just before a woman's right to "choose".
Stop sending your children to public schools.
It is neglect to send them there.
Drugs, peer pressure to have sex, pro sodomy, pro communism are all part of the public school experience in today's public schools.
Save the country, teach your children well.....at home.
And the right to free high speed internet?
I wonder who complained and what type of prayer the coach was saying. Just wondering now... not interested in being flamed. :-)
Everyone is assuming the complainer was not Christian. Could Borden have been leading his team in a Catholic prayer that a Protestant Christian didn't appreciate?
I can't find anything online with more details.
P.S. (I was raised Catholic).
___________________________________________________________
Officials lay bricks in symbolic start for Muslim center
On News/Activism 06/15/2005 9:02:16
Dallas Morning News ^ | June 14, 2005 |
LINDA STEWART BALL
PLANO TEXAS
The Ismaili Muslim community announced Tuesday that it is building a $6.5 million worship and community center in Plano, where it has found a warm welcome. Gov. Rick Perry flew in to lay the first ceremonial brick for the center's foundation. -snip-
These are the braindead jugheads that are "teaching" our children. They can't even read and UNDERSTAND the U.S. Constitution! Morons.
Coach Marcus Borden joins my list of American heroes.
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