Lawmakers in Florida are considering a bill that would allow prayer before school sports games, spurred by a contentious lawsuit between a Christian school and the Florida High School Athletic Association.
According to local news station WCTV, the proposal would require “the Florida High School Athletic Association to make changes that would lead to schools being offered 30 seconds for opening remarks over public-address systems.” Religious liberty advocates are hoping the Florida House passes the bill, which Education Chairwoman Jennifer Sullivan sponsored. The two chambers would need to reach an agreement before the bill could become law. The legislative session ended Friday.
The bill originated from a controversy about prayer before a major football game.
In 2016, Cambridge Christian School of Tampa and University Christian School of Jacksonville were facing off in a football championship. School officials from Cambridge asked the Florida High School Athletic Association if they could pray before kickoff over the loudspeaker at the Camping World Stadium. The Florida High School Athletic Association said no.
Cambridge Christian School eventually filed a lawsuit against the association with the help of First Liberty Institute, arguing that its First Amendment rights had been violated. Initially, an Obama-appointed federal court judge dismissed the case, arguing that such a request to pray would “be perceived as state endorsement of Cambridge Christian’s religious message.” Fortunately, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that ruling, and it’s now back at the lower court.
In an email, Jeremy Dys, special counsel for litigation and communications at First Liberty, wrote:
It’s always interesting to me when prayer in school is a controversial topic. A prayer offered by a student or team before a game is not a state endorsement of religion any more than swearing on the Bible in a ceremony or before a court is.
In fact, it’s so benign that allowing prayer in schools doesn’t even seem like something that should need to be specified via state law. Prayer in schools, at events, before meetings, or in state legislatures is not only common but reflects a foundational and essential element of this country’s Judeo-Christian roots.
However, had the legislation pending before Florida lawmakers already been the law, perhaps the entire debacle involving Cambridge Christian School would not have occurred. Whether this provision passes or not, I hope Cambridge wins this case and sets a precedent for other sports teams in Florida that want to pray before an event or game.
Nicole Russell (@russell_nm) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog. She is a journalist who previously worked in Republican politics in Minnesota.
