Washington, DC – Following the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, in which the Court jettisoned precedent in order to rule that a public high school football coach could attempt to lead prayers midfield while on duty in his capacity as a government employee, People For the American Way President Ben Jealous released the following statement:

“Today’s ruling is another wrecking ball aimed at our longstanding commitment to the separation of church and state by a Supreme Court dominated by ultraconservative partisans, who act as though their faith tradition should take precedence over all others in public life. This ruling ignores the rights of students who feel pressured to take part in a ritual that is not their own. It puts our country on a dangerous path toward further blurring of the lines between church and state, with all of our rights at risk as a result. And let’s be clear: this Court isn’t just determined to undermine church-state separation; it is bent on inventing new rules for getting to the answers the far-right majority wants in case after case. Just as it did in Dobbs, the Court threw out its own precedent and based its decision on a new, faulty standard of ‘history and tradition.’ It’s not hard to see how this new standard paves the way for all kinds of regressive decisions that turn the clock back on decades – if not centuries – of progress.”

About People For the American Way   
People For the American Way is a progressive advocacy organization founded to fight right-wing extremism and build a democratic society that implements the ideals of freedom, equality, opportunity and justice for all. We encourage civic participation, defend fundamental rights, and fight to dismantle systemic barriers to equitable opportunity. Learn more: https://www.pfaw.org