(NewsNation) — Randall Balmer, a professor of American religious history at Dartmouth College, said a high school football coach who consistently prayed on the field “made a show” of his faith.
Coach Joe Kennedy lost his job in 2015 for praying on the field after games, but he was back on the field Friday after a lengthy Supreme Court case.
Balmer said there’s a difference between athletes expressing themselves on the field and Kennedy’s case.
“I think it does raise some troubling questions about the First Amendment, the separation between church and state,” Balmer said during an appearance “Elizabeth Vargas Reports.” “For the record, the First Amendment is the best friend that religion has ever had. In this country, Americans are more religious than any other nation in the country, precisely because of the First Amendment. And when you begin to blur that line of separation. … I think you risk the trivialization of faith and religion.”
However, Supreme Court justices, in a 6-3 decision, ruled Kennedy’s postgame ritual was in fact protected by the First Amendment.
In a statement, the Bremerton School District said it will fully comply with the court order “to treat Mr. Kennedy’s personal religious conduct the same way the district treats all other personal conduct by coaches at football games.”
“We look forward to moving past the distraction of this nearly eight-year legal battle so that our school community can focus on what matters most — providing our children the best education possible,” a statement from Bremerton said.
Right now, it is not clear if Kennedy will return for more than one game. He currently lives in Florida and has not yet moved back to Washington.
NewsNation’s Evan Lambert contributed to this report.