SW News: A former high school football coach in the United States who was fired for praying publicly on the turf has been reinstated after the Supreme Court ruled in his favor. Joe Kennedy took his grievance to the top court of the country when his contract was not renewed by the school district after he prayed with players on the field in 2015.

Kennedy is now back as an assistant coach on the Bremerton Knights team in Washington State. His contract was not renewed when he continued to pray in spite of the school authorities telling him not to do so. When the case reached the US Supreme Court, it ruled that his prayers enjoyed the protection of the First Amendment.

In the majority opinion, Justice Neil Gorsuch said the former coach led a “quiet, personal prayer” protected by the First Amendment. Although the school district reinstated Kennedy in March, it was only last week that he appeared on the turf after a hiatus of eight years. “It’s been a long road and many heartbreaking years, but it’s great that it’s finally worked out,” he said, adding that “Everyone who has been supporting me and praying for me is what kept me going.”

The school district said it was expecting to move beyond the legal distractions and added that it would completely obey the order of the Supreme Court by treating Kennedy’s religious conduct the way it treats all other personal conduct by football coaches during a match.

“The lawsuit was only asking for two things. That I was to be able to be a coach and able to pray after a football game,” Kennedy said. “That’s what they’ve given back to me, and I’m looking forward to doing that.”