Kansas —
FFRF has worked with the Twin Valley Schools system to ensure that a district sports coach will stop leading his team members in prayer before games.
A student reported that the head baseball coach at Bennington High School was leading his team in prayer on the field before each game. Additionally, the student reported that the coach threatened punishment for players who didn’t participate in the prayers.
“Here, [the coach] has clearly crossed the constitutional line by pressuring student-athletes into engaging in prayer while acting in his official capacity as a District employee,” FFRF Anne Nicol Gaylor Legal Fellow Kyle J. Steinberg wrote to the district.
District Superintendent Pam Irwin investigated the situation. “The district recognizes the importance of maintaining clear boundaries consistent with applicable U.S. constitutional law, state statue and Board of Education policy,” Irwin wrote. Additionally, detailed instruction was given to staff, reminding them not to utilize their position to advance religion, any prayer conducted at school activities must be optional and student-led, and all employees were not permitted to distribute religious materials in district settings.
