Ruling on Washington school prayer case could have impact on similar case in Florida

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case brought by a Washington State High School football coach who claims he was fired for holding post-game prayers on the field.

He claims the school violated his First Amendment rights, and a ruling on the case could impact a similar case here in Florida.

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During a 2015 state championship game between Tampa’s Cambridge Christian School and Jacksonville’s University Christian, the Florida High School Athletic Association prohibited the schools from saying a prayer over the loudspeaker.

Attorney Jesse Panuccio is representing Cambridge Christian School, which sued the FHSA over the incident.

“Again, this is two Christian schools both with a tradition of pregame prayer. They pray at their games all of the time,” said Panuccio.

Last year, in an effort to address Cambridge Christian’s situation, state lawmakers attempted to pass a bill that would have required FHSAA to allow schools two minutes of opening remarks before championship games.

Those remarks could have included prayers, but the bill failed to cross the finish line.

“The state seems not to understand that the FHSAA is a state entity that it controls, and so the State of Florida and the state legislature and those in control in Tallahassee are very much responsible for this policy and ought to do something about it,” said Panuccio.

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In another blow, a federal judge ruled against Cambridge Christian last month.

Now, with the Supreme Court taking up the Washington high school football coach’s case, Pannuccio sees a new opportunity.

“Whether you’re a believer or not, that ability to express yourself is foundational to our republic,” said Panuccio.

Panuccio said while the details of the cases are different in some ways, the core question is identical: does prayer during school sanctioned events violate the separation of church and state?

He argues it does not.

“For the FHSAA to accommodate the religious tradition of these two Christian schools going to the championship game would not violate the separation of church and state, just like allowing Coach Kennedy to kneel silently after a game and engage in his own personal prayer would not violate the separation of church and state. And we may well get a ruling from the Supreme Court on that excuse, and that would have a major impact on our case here in Florida,” said Panuccio.

Cambridge Christian is currently appealing last month’s ruling.

University Christian, while a participant in the 2015 championship game in question, is not a party to the litigation.

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