News & Media

ADF: U.S. Supreme Court should hear NJ coach’s prayer case

WASHINGTON — The Alliance Defense Fund has joined other pro-liberty organizations in filing a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on behalf of a New Jersey football coach.  The East Brunswick School District prohibited the coach from silently bowing his head or kneeling while his team prayed.

“Coaches and teachers shouldn’t be told to disrespect religious students on a public school campus,” said ADF Chief Counsel Benjamin Bull.  “We’re in big trouble in this country if a high school football coach can’t even show respect during the prayer of his players.  The Constitution does not prohibit him from bowing his head or kneeling during student-led prayer.”

Even though Coach Marcus Borden did not endorse, initiate, or participate in his team’s prayer, he silently knelt on one knee in the locker room before games and bowed his head before meals in the cafeteria in respect of the prayers.  Though students have the constitutional right to pray in this way, the East Brunswick School District argues that the right no longer exists when a school employee observes or honors their prayers.

The district currently bans Borden from observing the prayers, citing its policy which prohibits faculty “participation” in student-initiated prayer.

A federal district court ruled that the policy prohibiting faculty participation in student-initiated prayer is unconstitutional.  The court ruled in Borden’s favor on all counts, holding that his silent prayers do not represent a government endorsement of religion.  The school district appealed the decision, which the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit reversed.

ADF, along with the Southeastern Legal Foundation and other pro-liberty groups, have filed a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court to contest the 3rd Circuit ruling. 

ADF is a legal alliance of Christian attorneys and like-minded organizations defending the right of people to freely live out their faith.  Launched in 1994, ADF employs a unique combination of strategy, training, funding, and litigation to protect and preserve religious liberty, the sanctity of life, marriage, and the family.