TruthBook Religious News Blog

Published on Friday, March 06, 2009
By Jesse J. Holland
The Associated Press
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WASHINGTON — Coach Marcus Borden used to bow his head and drop to one knee when his football team prayed. But the Supreme Court on Monday ended the practice when it refused to hear the high school coach’s appeal of a school district ban on employees joining a student-led prayer.

“We’ve become so politically correct in terms of how we deal with religion that it’s being pretty severely limited in schools right now, and individuals suffer,” said John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute, a civil liberties organization that focuses on First Amendment and religious freedom issues.

But Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said some parents had complained about Borden leading prayers before the East Brunswick, N.J., school district ordered him to stop and banned all staff members from joining in student-led prayer.

“The bottom line is people in positions of authority, like a coach, have to be extremely careful about trying to promote their ideas, or implying that if you don’t pray, you may not play,” Lynn said.

The high court without comment refused to reconsider the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision upholding the ban.

The district established the ban in 2005 after parents complained about Borden, coach at East Brunswick High School since 1983, sometimes leading prayers at the Friday afternoon team pasta dinner or in the locker room before games.

Judge D. Michael Fisher, writing for the Philadelphia appeals court, said Borden’s past action of leading the prayers made his head-bowing seem inappropriate. “A reasonable observer would conclude that he is continuing to endorse religion when he bows his head during the pre-meal grace and takes a knee with his team in the locker room while they pray,” Fisher said.

School employees should avoid looking like they’re endorsing religion in any way, said Lynn, whose group represented the school district.

The Supreme Court ended school-sponsored prayer in 1962 when it said that directing that a prayer be said at the beginning of each school day was a violation of the First Amendment. The justices reaffirmed the decision in 2000 by saying a Texas school district was giving the impression of prayer sponsorship by letting students use loudspeakers under the direction of a faculty member for prayers before sporting events.

Labels: Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Jesse J. Holland, prayer, religion, sports, supreme court

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Friday, June 29, 2007

When Prayer Reaches the Locker Room

The pre-game moment of silence and post-game prayer circle are familiar traditions to many college athletes. Coaches pointing to the heavens after a victory; players crediting a higher being for their performances — those sights and sound bites have become cliché. Faith and sports have a long history of intersecting, and every so often a case arises that revives the discussion of where to draw the line at public institutions.

Which brings us to Iowa State University, currently embroiled in a controversy over whether its football team — at the request of its head coach — should be allowed a spiritual adviser. Some faculty members are upset at the idea, and more than 130 have signed a petition saying that such a position creates a serious violation of the separation between religion and government.
A panel that advises the university on athletics issues has voted, 7-1, in favor of the proposal.

That recommendation now goes to Gregory Geoffroy, the university’s president, for consideration.

According to the job description, the “life skills assistant” would likely report to the athletics director. The person would serve those who seek counsel on “a variety of practical, moral, spiritual and personal issues,” and would not “pressure, coerce or proselytize team members.”

The adviser would have access to practices, games and other events, but any prayer led during mandatory team functions would have to be initiated and led by team members.

Iowa State says the adviser would not be supported by any state, university, athletic or foundation funds, but rather from donations made by private individuals.

Still, some faculty members remain upset. Hector Avalos, a professor of religious studies and co-author of the petition, said the title of “life skills assistant” isn’t fooling the faculty. He said it doesn’t matter who funds the position or whether it’s a volunteer gig or not.

“It’s a clear effort to Christianize the athletics department,” he said. “There’s a determination to prefer one religious group over another in hiring a chaplain. Once you start applying religious counseling, you can’t use a multi-faith approach.”

In an e-mail response to the petition (provided by Avalos), Jamie Pollard, athletics director at Iowa State, defended the position. “Much like we have offered our student-athletes access to drug and alcohol counselors, sports psychologists, nutritionists, hypnotists, physical therapists, learning specialists, chiropractors, physicians, etc., we are now going to also provide access to a spiritual advisor.”

Avalos said that as college teams become more diverse, the issue of bringing religion into the mix at public institutions will become all the more problematic.

Added Peter Roby, director of the Center for the Study of Sport in Society at Northeastern University, where he was just named athletics director: “In my opinion it is a dangerous precedent because it can lead to some athletes feeling isolated and discriminated against ... I would let the athletes know what religious and spiritual resources are available on campus or in the community and let them access them as they see fit.”

At New Mexico State University, a confidential settlement has been reached in a case involving former football players who claimed they were discriminated against because they are Muslims. The suit alleges the players were dismissed because of their religious beliefs, and that while on the team they were asked to recite the Lord’s Prayer during team functions. (The settlement stipulated that the university denies wrongdoing or bias. As a result of the suit, the prayer has been replaced by a moment of silence.)

But coaches often say that prayers are directed at the safety of the players, and are not religiously based. Reports have documented coaches at the some universities taking athletes to churches before the football season in an effort to build team unity. The coaches say the trips are never mandatory, and that they cannot remember players complaining.

Pollard, in the letter to Iowa State faculty, indicated that for more than a decade, a local pastor has traveled with its football team and attended home games as his schedule permitted. Avalos said the “business-as-usual” defense doesn’t fly.

“At a public institution, it’s always a Constitutionally risky thing to do.”

— Elia Powers

Labels: Elia Powers, faith, Iowa State University, prayer, religion, spiritual advisor, sports