The Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the First Amendment rights of football coach Joseph Kennedy, who was fired for praying on fields after games, has critics concerned about the separation of church and state. However, it’s business as usual in Frisco ISD. 

“Frisco ISD has always recognized employees’ personal rights to free speech and free exercise of religion,” Frisco ISD Assistant Director of Communications Meghan Cone said via email. “It just cannot interfere with student learning or the employee’s duties.”

Assistant football coach, and social studies teacher Julio Enriquez, is understanding of the multiple layers within the Supreme Court’s decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District.

“I believe in the freedom of speech which the constitution protects and that’s what this ruling stated,” Enriquez said. “But I think there still should be some sort of divide to ensure that everyone’s religious beliefs are respected, so I understand why some would be upset.”

For freshman football player Tanay Karapurkar, the decision made by the Supreme Court comes down to personal preference.

“I think that it should be up to each individual,” Karapurkar said. “As long as you’re doing it on your own and not pressuring anyone, you should absolutely have the right to express religion as a part of your identity.”

But for some people on campus, the decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District may further blur the lines between the separation of church and state.

“They pretty much dismantled The Lemon Test, which was a test to determine whether or not there was any type of religious interference in school,” AP Government teacher Amanda Peters said.

For non-religious students such as sophomore Sophia Hung, the decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District could potentially open the door for some “awkward situations”.

“I’ve never really cared what religion someone practices as long as they remain respectful of my boundaries,” Hung said. “There’s nothing wrong with expressing yourself but from what I’ve come to learn about this decision is that it could potentially make me and others, religious and non-religious, be put in awkward situations.” 

That’s not expected to be an issue In Frisco ISD as Cone does not see Kennedy v. Bremerton School District changing anything within the district. 

“This ruling has not changed Frisco ISD’s guidance on staff religious expression,” Cone said. “Frisco ISD does not expect any significant changes in employee behavior as a result of this ruling.”