High school football players in Tennessee led a post-game prayer with parents and fans Friday in defiance of the school district banning coaches from leading students in prayer. It happened after coaches were banned from participating in the traditional prayer.
“The sad reality is that in the United States of America – a football coach is allowed to take a knee to protest the flag, but he cannot take a knee to pray to Almighty God,” national radio host and best-selling author Todd Starnes said.
One fan, Bob Vick, posted a photo on Facebook of the massive prayer after the Upperman High School and Stone Memorial High School game — and it went viral.
“Satan’s power was defeated tonight, as the threat of a legal action to forbid prayer after the game was overwhelmed by player lead prayer supported by parents and fans in solidarity on Overall Field. God bless the Baxter and Stone players for their faith and courage,” Vick said.
Putnam County Schools received a letter from Americans United for Separation of Church and State earlier this year, claiming there were several instances of prayer and proselytizing at events at Cookeville and Upperman high schools, FOX 17 reports.
“Courts have consistently ruled that prayer and proselytizing can not be sponsored by schools or school personnel,” a school attorney said, caving to the atheist group.
The schools issued a statement to WZTV, “as a district, we absolutely understand the importance of prayer in the lives of our students, faculty, and staff members.”
“We support the right of students to participate in and lead spontaneous prayers. That right is and will continue to be protected. We also understand that faculty and staff members can not lead or participate in the spontaneous student-led prayers,” the statement added.