Document ID: ./input/supremecourt_opinions/opinions/21pdf/21-418_i425.pdf
Page Number: 44.0

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KENNEDY v. BREMERTON SCHOOL DIST. 

SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting 

they were “constantly being observed by others,” and “com-
municate effectively” with parents.  Ibid. 

Finally, District coaches had to “[a]dhere to [District] pol-
icies and administrative regulations” more generally.  Id., 
at 30–31.  As relevant here, the District’s policy on “Reli-
gious-Related  Activities  and  Practices”  provided  that
“[s]chool staff shall neither encourage or discourage a stu-
dent from engaging in non-disruptive oral or silent prayer 
or  any  other  form  of  devotional  activity”  and  that  “[r]eli-
gious  services,  programs  or  assemblies  shall  not  be  con-
ducted in school facilities during school hours or in connec-
tion with any school sponsored or school related activity.” 
Id., at 26–28. 

B 
In September 2015, a coach from another school’s football
team informed BHS’ principal that Kennedy had asked him 
and his team to join Kennedy in prayer.  The other team’s 
coach told the principal that he thought it was “ ‘cool’ ” that 
the District “ ‘would allow [its] coaches to go ahead and in-
vite other teams’ coaches and players to pray after a game.’ ”  
Id., at 229. 

The District initiated an inquiry into whether its policy 
on Religious-Related Activities and Practices had been vio-
lated.  It  learned  that,  since  his  hiring  in  2008,  Kennedy 
had been kneeling on the 50-yard line to pray immediately 
after shaking hands with the opposing team.  Kennedy re-
counted  that  he  initially  prayed  alone  and  that  he  never 
asked any student to join him.  Over time, however, a ma-
jority of the team came to join him, with the numbers vary-
ing  from  game  to  game.    Kennedy’s  practice  evolved  into
postgame talks in which Kennedy would hold aloft student 
helmets and deliver speeches with “overtly religious refer-
ences,”  which  Kennedy  described  as  prayers,  while  the
players kneeled around him.  Id., at 40.  The District also 
learned that students had prayed in the past in the locker