Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/21-418_i425.pdf
Page Number: 46

6 

KENNEDY v. BREMERTON SCHOOL DIST. 

SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting 

Kennedy had “not actively encouraged, or required, partic-
ipation”  but  emphasized  that  “school  staff  may  not  indi-
rectly encourage students to engage in religious activity” or 
“endors[e]” religious activity; rather, the District explained,
staff “must remain neutral” “while performing their job du-
ties.”  Id., at 41–43.  The District instructed Kennedy that
any motivational talks to students must remain secular, “so 
as to avoid alienation of any team member.”  Id., at 44. 

The District reiterated that “all District staff are free to 
engage in religious activity, including prayer, so long as it
does not interfere with job responsibilities.”  Id., at 45.  To 
avoid endorsing student religious exercise, the District in-
structed  that  such  activity  must  be  nondemonstrative  or 
conducted separately from students, away from student ac-
tivities.  Ibid.  The District expressed concern that Kennedy
had continued his midfield prayer practice at two games af-
ter  the  District’s  athletic  director  and  the  varsity  team’s 
head coach had instructed him to stop.  Id., at 40–41. 

Kennedy  stopped  participating  in  locker  room  prayers
and, after a game the following day, gave a secular speech.
He returned to pray in the stadium alone after his duties 
were over and everyone had left the stadium, to which the
District had no objection.  Kennedy then hired an attorney, 
who, on October 14, sent a letter explaining that Kennedy
was  “motivated  by  his  sincerely-held  religious  beliefs  to
pray following each football game.”  Id., at 63.  The letter 
claimed that the District had required that Kennedy “flee 
from students if they voluntarily choose to come to a place 
where he is privately praying during personal time,” refer-
ring to the 50-yard line of the football field immediately fol-
lowing the conclusion of a game.  Id., at 70.  Kennedy re-
quested that the District simply issue a “clarif[ication] that
the prayer is [Kennedy’s] private speech” and that the Dis-
trict  not  “interfere”  with  students  joining  Kennedy  in 
prayer.  Id., at 71.  The letter further announced that Ken-
nedy  would  resume  his  50-yard-line  prayer  practice  the