“Straight news anchor” Megyn Kelly might as well have got out the pompoms as she helped promote high school coach Joe Kennedy’s lawsuit against a school district for not allowing him to silently pray on its football field.
Kelly’s introduction to what she called a “Kelly File exclusive” sounded more like an opening argument on Kennedy’s behalf than background from a “straight news anchor.”
KELLY: The story of a high school coach suspended for praying at midfield after football games. Joe Kennedy never forced anyone to pray with him but many did. That is, until he was put on notice by his school district to stop because the district feared the lawyers.
The two guests were coach Kennedy and Mike Berry, senior counsel at Liberty Institute, which has filed a legal complaint on Kennedy’s behalf.
But one lawyer for Kennedy wasn’t enough.
Kelly started by asking how Kennedy was praying. According to Kennedy, he was praying alone on the 50-yard line, taking a knee and giving thanks for the team. Some kids came out and asked, “Can we pray with you?” He said, “Sure,” and it grew from there. After he was told by the school to stop, he sought to continue praying by himself but was denied permission by the school.
Time for Kelly to really show what side she’s on: “This is unbelievable, Mike,” she said. Citing a Supreme Court decision prohibiting certain prayers in school, she asked, with an annoyed expression on her face, “Since when did they say a coach can’t have his own private prayer in his head?”
Berry responded, “You’re exactly right, this is ridiculous, the Supreme Court’s never said that. This is his First Amendment right to engage in private prayer.” After noting that the school district had also refused a moment of silence, Berry added, “I don’t understand why the school district feels the need to bully this coach like this.”
Now Kelly was openly approving. “You know what it is. They’re afraid of the lawyers and now good for you! You are going to make them afraid of your lawyer! But they’re afraid that the lawyers for some students or the ACLU or some atheist group are going to come in and sue them!”
Kelly moved on to take some swipes at the godless school district, free of any guest to represent its side.
KELLY: Isn’t it incredible how hard they are working to get any prayer, any connection with a force greater than yourself out of these school communities? These school communities that we see are under threat of guns, of mass murderers and the one thing that will not be tolerated is prayer, is God. We’ll continue to follow it.
So there you have it: Public schools should just ignore the Constitutional separation of church and state because the bigger problem is guns and mass murderers.
Watch it below, from the December 17 The Kelly File.
Editor's Note: NewsHounds' Priscilla reminds us that Kelly just happened to be echoing an established Fox meme for this case.
I find it hard to believe that the coach went to school officials and “asked permission” to continue praying and was refused. EVERYONE has a right to pray on their own time. What school officials (teachers, coaches, etc) can not do, however, is “take the lead” in prayers nor participate with students.
His problem started when he crossed the legal line and allowed students to participate in prayer with him. And mlp ! is quite correct in the “spectacle” aspect. Prayer—according to the very words of Jesus—is supposed to be a private matter between the supplicant and God (church is a slightly different situation but people are largely there voluntarily).
So, Megan — are you calling for gun-free school zones? Or are you saying teachers and students should be able to arm themselves to the teeth?
A week ago, the NYT mocked the Republicans in Congress for offering “prayer” in response to the carnage caused by too many guns.
Funny how that whole conversation just
And meanwhile, Shmegan argues there’s not enough God in schools. And our kids get shot on a daily basis.
Nice job, Meg. Tghis is what you have done with your life…
“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.”
Matthew 6:5
