Posted on 07/27/2006 4:20:35 PM PDT by Coleus
A federal judge ruled yesterday that the East Brunswick High School football coach can bend a knee and bow his head while his players recite pre-game prayers this season, ending a dispute that had mushroomed into a nationally recognized test of the separation of church and state. After nearly two hours of arguments, U.S. District Judge Dennis Cavanaugh sided with the coach, Marcus Borden, declaring "taking a knee" isn't praying and that the Middlesex County school district can't order him to stand still while his players perform a locker room ritual that spans decades.
"Tradition plays a part, and the overall actions and responsibilities of a football coach should be considered," Cavanaugh said. "For the coach, who is looked at as the glue to hold all of this together and foster team spirit, to not be allowed to participate in these traditions -- even in the passive way -- just doesn't seem right." The ruling fell short of wading into the larger issue of prayer in public schools as some advocates had hoped. But it represented a victory for Borden, a 51-year-old coach and Spanish teacher who since last fall has battled to keep the post he has held for 23 years. A district policy enacted in October prohibited him from participating in team prayers, a practice Borden contended was unbearable.
"What (the decision) means now is that coaches who don't know what they can or can't do now know there is one thing they can do," said his attorney, Ronald Riccio. In a statement, the school district said it was "pleased" the case was over and that it had accomplished its goal of getting clarification from the courts. But the outcome it ultimately accepted was the same one it had argued was blatantly illegal by a public employee.
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
That this was even questioned tells me it's time for me to leave the USA.
The coach should be allowed to pray. A person in authority like a coach should simply announce before hand that nobody is required to pray and nobody will be discriminated against if they don't.
And go ... where?
Am I the only one who sees where this is going?
"We are a nation of lawyers"!
You got mail.
Or all just kneel in "silent" prayer.
Let's face it, the school district didn't want him to pray at all. They made a fuss about it, spent the taxpayers' money and lost a battle.
And where will you go where things are better? Canada?
Yah,right!
Europe?
Don't make me laugh.
before you go, just remember that this is STILL the greatest country on Earth.
Bizarre that it takes a court decision to allow the coach to take a knee. Ridiculous.
For the time being.
I just wondering how long this thread can go without some clueless type bolding stating that God doesn't care about the outcome of football games.
By what measure? Power, Economy? There is more to being great. This article proves this for me.
That coach has to be laughing himself to tears right about now.
"That this was even questioned tells me it's time for me to leave the USA."
No.
It's time for rank and file ordinary law-abiding, God-loving Americans to stick together and speak up. Work in a campaign. Vote. Make sure that others who feel like you do also go to the polls. Pressure your lawmakers to confirm conservative judges. "Choose you this day whom you will serve. . . "
In other words, be a part of the solution, not contribute to the problem by cutting and running.
I'm sure you didn't mean for your comment to sound cowardly, but it did.
believe me, I see that we are not perfect and going downhill fast.
But we still have two great assets:
The Constitution, and Real Americans
I agree...good advice.
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