NOT HAVE TO GIVE UP HIS RIGHT TO
PRAY IN PUBLIC SIMPLY BECAUSE HE
IS A PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE.
>> Sandra: SHANNON, THANK YOU
VERY MUCH.
LOOKING AT THE VINDICATION AND
HIS LAWYER, PRESIDENT DIO FIRST
LIBERTY INSTITUTE.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH, COACH,
LET’S GET YOUR REACTION FIRST.
>> YOU KNOW, I REALLY DON’T KNOW
WHAT TO SAY.
I JUST CAN’T STOP SMILING AND
YOU KNOW, THANK GOD AND THANK
EVERYBODY THAT SUPPORTED ME.
AND I FOUND OUT THAT I AM NOT
INSANE.
IT IS ABSOLUTELY TRUE THAT ALL
THE FACTS OF THE CASE AND IT IS
JUST APPEALING GOOD TO KNOW THAT
THE FIRST AMENDMENT IS ALIVE AND
WELL.
>> I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR
YOU NOW, COACH, ARE YOU HEADED
BACK TO THE FIELD?
>> AS SOON AS THE SCHOOL
DISTRICT SAYS, HEY, COME BACK.
I AM THERE, ABSOLUTELY.
A >> Sandra: HAVE THEY GIVEN
YOU ANY INDICATION THAT’S THE
CASE?
>> WE JUST FOUND OUT THIS
MORNING, SO YOU KNOW, IT
CERTAINLY IS IN BREMERTON, THEY
ARE ALL WAKING UP TO THAT NEWS.
AND I EXPECT SOME PHONE CALLS
TODAY FROM THEM.
IT >> Sandra: I WILL GET MORE
REACTION THAN JUST A MOMENT, TO
YOUR LAWYER NOW, YOUR TEAM HAS
CERTAINLY MADE THE CASE THAT YOU
HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNEEL IN
PRAYER ON THE 50-YARD LINE.
AND HER POINT WAS THAT THIS WAS
NOT A FORM OF COERCION COME TO
SHANNON’S POINT, THERE WERE
PLAYERS WHO CAME FORWARD TO THE
COACH AND SAID THAT THEY WERE
NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.
SO WHAT WAS THE CASE THAT YOU
BUILT OVER TIME ON THIS?
>> IT’S PRETTY BASIC, SANDRA,
AND THAT IS THAT FREE SPEECH AND
FREE EXERCISE ARE BOTH PROTECTED
UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT.
AND WHETHER THAT IS A TEACHER
BOUND OR HEAD OVER OR WHETHER
THAT IS COACH GOING FOR 15 OR 20
SECONDS AFTER THE GAME AND
SAYING A PRAYER, A SILENT
PRAYER.
YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO THAT.
SO IF THE GOVERNMENT IS GOING TO
INFRINGE UPON THAT AND IN THIS
CASE REALLY FIRE HIM BECAUSE HE
EXERCISES FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHTS, THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOME
SORT OF VERY SERIOUS
JUSTIFICATION FOR THE ADS, AND
THEY DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING LIKE
THAT.
THIS IDEA THAT SOMEHOW IF
PLAYERS SEE HIM ACROSS THE
FIELD, THAT THAT IS ENOUGH TO
TAKE AWAY HIS FIRST AMENDMENT
RIGHT, NOT ONLY A COACH BUT A
GUY WHO SPENT 20 YEARS IN THE
MARINES FIGHTING FOR OUR
FREEDOMS, THAT’S NOT THE WAY
THIS COUNTRY WORKS.
SO I THINK THAT EVERYBODY WILL
SEE AND AM SO GLAD FOR JOE, SIX
YEARS OF FIGHTING AND HE WILL BE
BACK ON THAT FIELD.
THAT’S WHAT THE CASE WAS ABOUT.
HE DID NOT ASK FOR MONEY, JUST
WANTED HIS JOB BACK IN TO BE
ABLE TO GO ON THE FIELD AFTER
THE GAME AND PRAY AND WHEN THE
GAME STARTS, THAT’S WHAT HE WILL
BE DOING.
BUT HIS CASE ENDED UP BEING
BIGGER BECAUSE IT PROTECTED SO
MANY OTHER PEOPLE, OVERLY BROAD
OPINION THAT I THINK IT’S GOING
TO PROVIDE A LOT OF PROTECTIONS
FOR A LOT OF AMERICANS UNDER THE
FIRST AMENDMENT.
>> Sandra: COACH, JUST READING
A LITTLE BIT FROM JUSTICE
NEIL GORSUCH OPINION SAYING THE
CONSTITUTION AND THE BEST OF OUR
TRADITIONS COUNSEL MUTUAL
RESPECT AND TOLERANCE.
HE SAYS NOT CENSORSHIP AND
SUPPRESSION, RELIGIOUS AND
NONRELIGIOUS VIEWS ALIKE.
HOW MUCH DOES IT MEAN TO YOU NOT
JUST FOR YOU, COACH AND THE
ABILITY TO PRAY ON THE FIELD AND
ALLOW OTHERS TO JOIN YOU WITHOUT
COERCION, WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR
YOU?
BY GOING BEYOND THAT WHAT YOU
THINK THIS MEANS FOR OTHER
COACHES WHO WISH TO THE SAME?
>> YOU KNOW, COACHES, OR ANY
PUBLIC EMPLOYEE, I THINK ABOUT
THE TEACHERS IN THE JANITORS,
THE LUNCH PEOPLE, EVERYBODY
WORKS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT,
AND THAT’S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
THIS COUNTRY, AND EVERYBODY WAS
KEEPING THEIR EYE ON ALL OF THIS
TO SEE WHAT THEIR RIGHTS WERE
GOING TO BE.
ARE THEY GOING TO BE TAKEN AWAY.
AND IT JUST SHOWS THAT HEY, IT
DOES NOT MATTER WHAT YOUR FAITH
IS OR IF YOU HAVE NO FAITH, IT
JUST PROVES THAT THIS IS AMERICA
AND THE FIRST AMENDMENT APPLIES
AND NOBODY SHOULD HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT, NOW ESPECIALLY HAVE TO
WORRY ABOUT JUST BECAUSE YOU
WANT TO THANK GOD, YOU CAN DO IT
NOW.
AND THAT’S JUST AN AWESOME THING
FOR EVERYBODY.
>> COACH, FAIR TO SAY IF YOU HAD
TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN YOU
WOULD?
>> YES, I WOULD.
YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK A COUPLE
OF TIMES BEFORE I DO THE WHOLE
SEVEN YEARS AND LOSING THE FIRST
FIVE TIMES, BUT ABSOLUTELY 100%
WORTH IT KNOWING THAT I FOUGHT
FOR THE RIGHT THING AND ENDED UP
WINNING AND KNOWING THAT JUSTICE
IS DONE IN THE FREEDOMS ARE
GOOD.
>> Sandra: COACH, THANK YOU SO