‘Jesus’ chants, jeers greet Satanists during Bremerton football game

A handful of members of the Satanic Temple of Seattle including their chapter leader attended Bremerton High School’s football game on Thursday after they persuaded school district to put coach Joe Kennedy on paid leave for praying at the 50 yard line after games.

After the match, Mr Kennedy hugged his players over a fence and knelt down and prayed with a group of people in front of the stands.

Starr said as the group was leaving that their mission was victorious because Kennedy did not pray on the field.

“Woodlawn” director and Alabama native Andrew Erwin voiced his support for an assistant high school football coach in Washington state who was placed on administrative leave for refusing to stop holding voluntary prayers with players and students on the field after games.

“While the district appreciates Kennedy’s many positive contributions to the BHS football program, and, therefore, regrets the necessity of this action, Kennedy’s conduct poses a genuine risk that the District will be liable for violating the federal and state constitutional rights of students or others.” the district’s statement said. District officials recently told him to stop after the practice came to their attention. “It is unfortunate this school district is choosing litigation instead of a simple meeting”.

“I’m willing to take this as far as it goes to defend the right of the constitution”, said Kennedy. “I’m like, God, I hope those aren’t kids”, Kennedy told Seattle-based reporters “I’m sitting there and I’m going, ‘God, thank you for this opportunity.’ And … if this is the last time I step on the field with these guys…” Kennedy replied that he never forced anyone to pray along. “We believe in the game, we believe in competition and we can come into it as rivals and leave as brothers”.

On Thursday, coach Kennedy was also present, but he sat in the stands from where he watched the game and prayed again at the end of it. Satanic Temple members said that they were invited by several students and professors, and that they were ready to perform a ritual on the filed after the game in the name of religious expression if any of the students requested.

Lilith Starr, chapter head of The Satanic Temple of Seattle, holds…

“The district is in no way taking away an athletic coach’s freedom of expression”, Superintendent Aaron Leavell said in a statement posted to the organization’s website.

It was not immediately clear what action the school district would take, if any. But Kennedy declined, the letter says.

– A Washington State high School football coach gets the boot for praying on the field.

“Whatever happens happens, you know”, he said. “If it comes back one way or another, I fought the good fight”, he said.

School officials say coaches are role models and even if prayer isn’t required, just seeing a coach praying may make a few students feel awkward.