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Page Number: 7.0

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KENNEDY v. BREMERTON SCHOOL DIST. 

Opinion of the Court 

I 
A 
Joseph  Kennedy  began  working  as  a  football  coach  at 
Bremerton High School in 2008 after nearly two decades of 
service in the Marine Corps.  App. 167.  Like many other 
football  players  and  coaches  across  the  country,  Mr.  Ken-
nedy made it a practice to give “thanks through prayer on 
the  playing  field”  at  the  conclusion  of  each  game.  Id.,  at 
168,  171.  In  his  prayers,  Mr.  Kennedy  sought  to  express
gratitude  for  “what  the  players  had  accomplished  and  for 
the opportunity to be part of their lives through the game 
of football.”  Id., at 168.  Mr. Kennedy offered his prayers 
after the players and coaches had shaken hands, by taking
a knee at the 50-yard line and praying “quiet[ly]” for “ap-
proximately 30 seconds.”  Id., at 168–169. 

Initially, Mr. Kennedy prayed on his own.  See ibid.  But 
over  time,  some  players  asked  whether  they  could  pray
alongside him.  991 F. 3d 1004, 1010 (CA9 2021); App. 169.
Mr. Kennedy responded by saying, “ ‘This is a free country. 
You can do what you want.’ ”  Ibid.  The number of players
who joined Mr. Kennedy eventually grew to include most of 
the team, at least after some games.  Sometimes team mem-
bers invited opposing players to join.  Other times Mr. Ken-
nedy still prayed alone.  See ibid.  Eventually, Mr. Kennedy 
began  incorporating  short  motivational  speeches  with  his 
prayer  when  others  were  present.  See  id.,  at  170.  Sepa-
rately, the team at times engaged in pregame or postgame
prayers  in  the  locker  room.  It  seems  this  practice  was  a
“school  tradition”  that  predated  Mr.  Kennedy’s  tenure. 
Ibid.  Mr. Kennedy explained that he “never told any stu-
dent that it was important they participate in any religious 
activity.”  Ibid.  In  particular,  he  “never  pressured  or  en-
couraged any student to join” his postgame midfield pray-
ers.  Ibid. 

For over seven years, no one complained to the Bremer-
ton School District (District) about these practices.  See id.,