When Cortney Braswell bowed his head in September, the Central High School football coach said he was thinking about one thing: the safety of his player.
During a game against East Ridge High School, one of Braswell’s players was injured and unable to feel his legs. He was taken away in an ambulance.
“It was a fragile moment for us all,” Braswell said.
As a local youth pastor began to lead a prayer, joined by players from both teams, Braswell bowed his head. A Facebook video of the prayer has been viewed more than 25,000 times.
This incident prompted the Freedom From Religion Foundation, an organization that works to protect the separation of church and state, to file a complaint last week against Hamilton County Schools, as the law prohibits school employees from leading or participating in prayer with students.