Newhouse shows support for praying coach

Rep. Dan Newhouse was the only member of Washington’s congressional delegation to sign a letter supporting a Bremerton High School coach who was placed on paid leave for on-field prayers.

Newhouse, R-Sunnyside, was one of 47 Congress members to ask Bremerton School District Superintendent Aaron Leavell and high school Principal John Polm to reconsider their decision. Assistant Coach Joe Kennedy had a tradition of quietly praying at the 50-yard line at the end of games.

The letter said that while government cannot impose one religion over another, it also cannot ask government officials to proactively scrub all references to religion from the public square. It asked the officials to consider that Kennedy’s actions were not coercive and were admirable because they showed his commitment to his players’ welfare.

Many of the members who signed the letter are members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus.

Newhouse believes that no American should be prevented from freely expressing religious beliefs, according to a statement from his office.

“The effort to prevent Coach Kennedy from engaging in a brief prayer after a high school game is at odds with the intent of the Establishment Clause as well as individual rights protected by our Constitution,” the statement said.

Kennedy attended a game Thursday and watched from the stands despite being placed on leave Wednesday. He prayed with a group of people, according to the Associated Press.

Satanic Temple of Seattle members, clad in black robes, also attended the game. Some students reportedly yelled at them to leave and threw liquid at them.

This story was originally published October 31, 2015 at 5:51 PM with the headline "Newhouse shows support for praying coach."