The U.S. Supreme Court ruled last week that a prayer led by a high school football coach following games is constitutionally protected free speech.While some praised the decision as a win for religious freedom, others feared the decision could be harmful to non-Christian students.The court ruled 6-3 for the coach with the conservative justices in the majority and the liberals in dissent.The case, Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, was the latest in a series of rulings in support of Christian plaintiffs.A plaintiff is a person who brings a legal action against another in a court of law.The case forced the justices to balance the religious and free speech rights of teachers and coaches with the rights of students not to feel pressured into joining in religious practices.The coach, named Joseph Kennedy, would lead a prayer in the middle of the field after football games.He was a coach at Bremerton High School in the northwestern state of Washington.The school asked him not to pray with players while still on duty as a coach after the games.But he continued to do so.The head coach later proposed not to bring back Kennedy.
