Public school districts in Arizona have fired and suspended football coaches for allowing and/or encouraging students to initiate prayer, and the schools subsequently forbid them entrance to school grounds. Gary Weiss was fired by Catalina Foothills High School in Tucson, AZ for refusing to tell football players to stop praying, and Tom Brittain was suspended for two games for being present while football players prayed at Tempe Preparatory Academy, a public charter school in Tempe, AZ.
For background, click headlines below to read previous articles:
Jesus & Chaplains Banned from Florida Schools Football
Oklahoma School Assures Wisconsin Atheists: No Praying Coaches Here
Tennessee Cheerleaders Defy Atheist-forced Prayer Ban
Thousands of Citizens vs. Atheists: Prayer at Florida Football
Virginity Advocacy Banned at Arkansas School
California School Bans Books by Christian Authors
Satanic Book Distribution in Florida Schools
-- From "High School Football Coach Claims He Was Fired For Letting His Players Pray" posted at (CBS News Las Vegas) 9/17/14
[Gary Weiss said] he was instructed before a game to tell his players to stop praying.
He said the reason he is out of a job is because he refused.
He showed up to practice today but was asked to leave.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Football coach claims he was fired for not stopping players from praying before games" posted at Sun News 9/17/14
District superintendent Dr. Mary Kamerzell told KVOA, "nothing limits the authority of the school/district to maintain order and discipline on school premises, to protect the well-being of students, and to assure that participation in such an activity is voluntary on the part of student."
On defense, Weiss said, "no other adult in the freshmen program led the kids in prayer. The prayers of the freshmen team have been recited by Muslim kids, Jewish kids, and Christian kids."
Students on Twitter stood up for their former coach. Ryan Penny tweeted, "Wow, can't believe a school would do this. My prayers go out to one of my former coaches, Gary Weiss."
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "Arizona high school football coach suspended for praying with team" posted at KPHO-TV5 CBS (Phoenix, AZ) 9/20/14
A Valley football coach was ordered to stay away from the field on Friday night while his team played their homecoming game, and he won't be at next week's game either.
The headmaster said it all boils down to protecting separation of church and state.
"He is a man who likes to pray and I don't object to that," said TPA headmaster Dr. David Baum. "Just, he can't do that with our students. That's the only prohibition."
"He (Brittain) directed students to lead a prayer and he joined the students in that prayer and did so in view of everyone," said Baum. "I think I preserved the religious freedom of our students, who have to have the liberty to be able to practice or not practice their religion on our campus, without interference by adults."
But, some students and parents disagree.
To read the entire article above, CLICK HERE.
From "High-school coach gets suspended for praying?" by Paul Eppinger, The Arizona Republic 9/24/14
Any coach who joins his players in the fervor and excitement of a victory and joins them in prayer is leading them to these higher values. And now, coach Tommy Brittain is being suspended for seeking to lead his boys to these higher values.
Is this real?
Yes, he had signed a contract not to promote a specific religion, but is praying promoting a specific religion?
To read the entire opinion column above, CLICK HERE.
Also read the long list of states enacting laws to bring prayer back to schools in response to the myriad atheist lawsuits against Christians and prayer nationwide.
In addition, read U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of public prayer, and read the resulting resurgence in public prayer following the Supreme Court decision.
