The Supreme Court appears poised to rule in favor of a high school football coach suspended over his on-field prayers following games. "I've been getting phone calls ever since it hit the paper last week. The unedited text of the petition reads, "For the first time in years the CHS Hurricanes have had a spectacular football season all thanks to coach Robert OBrian. Neither Cline nor Staten would give specific details as to what was said in a meeting between the two Wednesday. Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting. That tells me from an investigation that they didn't have any interest in finding out the truth.". Citrus High head football coach Robert OBrien stands on the sideline before a game Sept. 27 in Inverness against Central. After weeks-long investigation, Eastchester coach fired after 32 years A federal court dismissed the lawsuit, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit widely considered the most liberal federal appeals court ruled against Kennedy, saying he was praying as a public employee and risked violating the Establishment Clause. I was very impressed with him stepping in and getting the program back on its feet., Get updates and player profiles ahead of Friday's high school games, plus a recap Saturday with stories, photos, video Frequency: Seasonal Twice a week. They did their best considering what theyve been through this year.. A higher calling for Varnadore | Sports | chronicleonline.com Anything that was spoken of coach OBrien was uplifting to his name and reputation. Dan Schultz, a former sports club president who has had three sons play sports for DiCarlo, including one, Aidan, who is currently a junior on the football and basketball teams, wrote a letter of support to Valenti and the school board dated Nov. 4, praising DiCarlo for his character and integrity. But in September of 2015, the district Superintendent,Aaron Leavell,sent a letter to Kennedy ordering him to stop praying, after a school administrators compliment of Kennedys leadership drew attention to his post-game prayers. Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. After previously coaching at Crystal River for three seasons, Varnadore was hired at Citrus two years ago. FaithPoliticsCivil Rights Act of 1964First AmendmentFirst Liberty InstituteFree Exercise Clausefree speechjoe kennedyOn the Hillreligious libertySupreme CourtTitle VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Bishop Sycamore fires coach after bizarre fallout from ESPN blowout Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. Be Truthful. So why cant we continue to win with Coach Robert OBrien?". Football coach reinstated after I dont know how to deal with that, frankly, he said. Kennedy, a devout Christian who began working at Bremerton High School in 2008, was fired from his role as varsity assistant coach and as the junior varsity head Most Facebook users can now claim settlement money. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. While Kennedy and religious freedom advocates contend he was simply exercising his right to express his devotion to God, the school district maintains that his actions were coercive and that players parents complained that their children on the team felt compelled to participate. In 2017, the Hurricanes began 1-3 but won four of their last five to finish 5-4. "They want to know why coach Cline is not going to be at Citrus High School anymore. CITRUS COUNTY, fla A Citrus County high school student is dead after collapsing during football practice, according to the school district. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. Valenti was not immediately available for comment. If you have a subscription, please log in or sign up for an account on our website to continue. DiCarlo, a 1985 graduate of Eastchester, had coached in the district for 32 years and had served as head coach of both programs since the late 1990s. Like many coaches, hes leaving for another Contact Chronicle sports reporter Chris Bernhardt at 352-563-5660, chris.bernhardt@chronicleonline.com or on twitter @cpbernhardtjr. "It's deeply hurtful to the Jewish community to learn that the plays somehow connect to the Holocaust and Judaism," Trestan said. The justices will hear oral arguments in April and are expected to make decision in the case by the end of June. According to an April 18 update from the city, 33 permits were granted in 2022, marking a 250% increase compared to the previous year and more than a 600% increase since 2017. He can be reached by e-mail atjthomson@lohud.com, on Twitter at@lohudinsider, and on Instagram at@lohudinsider. Get an email notification whenever someone contributes to the discussion. Schultz, whose oldest son, Andrew, played Division I football at Bryant, criticized the process that led to the decision. racist or sexually-oriented language. He holds himself accountable and he holds them accountable.". Lovebugs in Florida: How do I get them off my car? I think he did a great job for us. Churchill high school is conducting an immature sensitive conversation with underage children by promoting 18 + topics. Wake up to the day's most important news. OBrien, in his first year at the helm, had guided the team to an 8-1 mark but was absent for last Fridays regular season ending win at Crystal River. Plymouth school officials alerted Duxbury about the matter. The districts crisis team was at Citrus High School on Wednesday and will be at the school throughout the rest of the week to provide counseling, assistance and support as needed. Sometimes when you're on the outside, you don't really know what goes on on the inside.". We just decided to mutually part ways.. Kennedy, a devout Christian who began working at Bremerton High School in 2008, was fired from his role asvarsity assistant coach and as the junior varsity head coach after he refused to quit praying on the 50 yard line in full view of the public following games. More:Football: Eastchester sets season in the right direction with a 'program game', More:Football: In dominant finish, Somers begins to realize its promise. "That is not true," Bishop said of OBriens claims. Mainly clear skies. Low 66F. He was constantly working hard with the other assistant coaches to make sure that the team would continue to grow and succeed. What happens to First Republic Bank's stock and deposits now? I've heard some teachers, students and booster members are all signing petitions, but I haven't seen any. As of Wednesday evening, the petition had generated 1,635 signatures and its stated goal had been raised from 1,500 to 2,500. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism Cline was 10-1 and 7-4 in two seasons with the Hurricanes. We've received your submission. High School Football Coach Fired After Raising Concerns About But in his case, its more of a higher calling. Nonetheless, Langer said that he asked Assistant Superintendent Jimmy Hughes to look into the matter, and that Hughes and Staten have a meeting scheduled for this morning. They said the player chose to take off the pepperoni and eat it. However, he declined to provide details of what happened and said the video would not be publicly released due to federal student privacy regulations. Youre requiring a lot of this school board to try to figure out exactly which box in the Establishment Clause to put this in, Kagan told Kennedys lawyer, Paul Clement. Duxbury residents are beside themselves, CBS Boston observes, and a local group called Duxbury For All says there's a lot of work to be done. In Draft Flier Kayshon Boutte, The New England Patriots Hope OBrien turned in his resignation Monday after I found it odd in your brief that you just kept saying the coach wasnt on the field during the game when he was praying, she said. WebHurricanes Football Coaches. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, Notifications from this discussion will be disabled. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe, via Getty Images. coach In this business this happens. It was unclear who will replace DiCarlo as coach. Coaches Ousted After Player Says "Coach OBrien was a very inspirational coach with high hopes for the Citrus High School football program. All of his hard work had payed off extremely well with a record of 9 wins and 1 loss. Citrus 9 Will DeSantis have to resign to run for president? Obviously he wants to continue to do that (in the ministry) and I think hell be successful. I am asking that all Leesburg high school football fans say a prayer for the citrus high school football team, student body and the family of the player that died tonight after collapsing at practice. Low 66F. He called the language "careless, unnecessary and most importantly hurtful on its face - inexcusable.". Citrus High head football coach Nate Varnadore announced his resignation on Monday, ending his two-year tenure with the program. The City of Citrus Heights reported this month that a record-breaking number of permits were issued for secondary dwelling units last year. In a move that shocked colleagues and members of the community, Eastchester varsity football and boys basketball coach Final verdict. New College of Florida drama continues as trustees deny tenure for 5 faculty, You know what, guns actually do kill people | Letters, 20 foster boys allege abuse by Clearwater couple over decades, lawsuit states, Heres what Gov. Ted S. Warren/AP Photo. CANTON, Ohio (AP) The head football coach at an Ohio high school and six other coaches there have been ousted after a football player said he was forced him to eat pork in violation of his religious beliefs for missing a voluntary workout. Citrus head football coach Nathan Varnadore announced his resignation Monday morning. Joe Kennedy, a former assistant football coach at Bremerton High School in Bremerton, Wash., poses for a photo March 9, 2022, at the school's football field. 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The high school football coach demands students write an essay about their love fantasies. This story has been corrected to show the player is a Hebrew Israelite, not a Hebrew Israeli. DiCarlo first met with the district's independent investigator two days prior to that game. Jeff Roberson/AP Photo. They want a good environment and they want the home team to win. Still, Varnadore was credited with turning around a team that had gone a combined 4-15 the previous two seasons. High School Football Coach Fired In an exclusive statement to Breitbart News,General Counsel forFirst LibertyInstitute Mike Berry said the case has massive implications for religious liberty in the United States. It turns out that the school also is not listed on the Ohio Athletic Associations directory of schools, but reportedly is part of the Texas Christian Athletic League. Higher wind gusts possible. Be Nice. 00:01. However, when the word got out that coach OBrien was no longer apart of the Citrus High School football program, the question that no one was able to find the answer to was, why?, "Ultimately, Citrus County hasnt seen this good of a program in years, and once our team finally starts to succeed and climb up the rankings, it is all stripped away for a reason that is unknown to most. However, under the new point system implemented by the FHSAA that season, Citrus failed to make the playoffs. Bishop Sycamore, the unknown Ohio-based online school that talked its way into a nationally televised football drubbing Sunday on ESPN, has fired head coach Roy Johnson. Part of HuffPost News. Citrus athletic director Larry Bishop said on Wednesday that he had heard about the petition but hadnt had an opportunity to review it. Pick No. 2021 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. On October 23, the district denied his request. We have suffered a great loss (tonight) and the pain we all feel is immeasurable, the post said. U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor appears before an audience on April 5, 2022, at Washington University in St. Louis. Contact Chronicle sports reporter Chris Bernhardt Jr. at 352-563-5660, chris.bernhardt@chronicle online.com or on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr. ,Crystal River,FL, 8021 W Gulf To Lake Hwy, Crystal River, FL 34429, 1250 N Vantage Point DR, Crystal River, FL 34429, 631 N. 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Florida Avenue, Inverness, FL 34450, 659 N Citrus Avenue, Crystal River, FL 34428, 1624 North Meadowcrest Boulevard , Crystal River, FL 34429, 1000 NE 5th Street, Crystal River, FL 34429, 7655 W Gulf To Lake Highway, Crystal River, FL 34429, 4000 S Florida Avenue, Inverness, FL 34450, 3638 S Placid Avenue, Inverness, FL 34452, 3791 N Lecanto Highway , Beverly Hills, FL 34465, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park, 7449 W Gulf to Lake Hwy, Crystal River, FL 34429, 5430 N Suncoast Blvd, Crystal River, FL 34428, 3835 S Pittsburgh Avenue, Homosassa, FL 34448. The announcement came the day after Robert Trestan, president of the New England Anti-Defamation League, called for an independent investigation. Updated: Sep 29, 2021 / 04:45 PM EDT. The case surrounds high school football coach Joseph Kennedy and Bremerton School District in the state of Washington. With that said, my life was forever changed after receiving word of the passing of one of our players, Alec McMurray. Head Coach McKinley Franklin; Initial value. She stressed that no teachers work is limited strictly to class time. Eastchester's basketball team, which went 18-5 last season, is scheduled to begin a new season when practice opens Monday. In 2018, First Liberty filed a petition for writ of certiorari with the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the Ninth Circuits decision. The student, identified as 16-year-old Antonio Elijah Hicks, was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on Tuesday, Sept. 28. "Not one thing. There was adversity after adversity, once one thing was under control something else pops up. The case has taken several years since 2015 to be accepted by the highest court in the United States, and will require the justices to look at three parts of the First Amendment and how they pertain to public employees. The teens attorney, Ed Gilbert, said the player skipped a voluntary workout four days earlier before the incident while nursing a sore shoulder. "You try and find a basketball coach or football coach who teaches 16 and 17-year-old kids and hasn't cursed. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. "The fact that members of our school community used such offensive language, including anti-Semitic language, is horrifying and disappointing.". 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Home - Citrus High School Why cant the school fire a coach who decides to put a Nazi swastika on their arm and go to the middle of the field to pray? Please purchase a subscription to read our premium content. High school coach fired after players use anti-Semitic play calls Peter Pattakos, an attorney retained by Wattley, said details of the events were exaggerated and parts are false. WSW winds at 15 to 25 mph, decreasing to 5 to 10 mph. / CBS/AP. Threats of harming another declares her, Alleged fraud could mean curtain call for theater, Womans car totaled in her driveway by Amazon driver, Missing Largo lawyers husband talks about love &. Thats not coercion that counts under the Establishment Clause.. I want to continue to do that. I've had teachers, parents and students calling and they're saying, 'Why?' Don't knowingly lie about anyone "Nobody's getting an answer and I'm frustrated," Citrus County School Board member Karen Johnson said. Every player is trying to get on the good side of the coach and every parent is worried about the coach exercising favoritism in terms of the starting line-up, playing time, recommendations for colleges, said Kavanaugh, who has previously used his position on the high court bench to express empathy for the concerns of student athletes. It was during the hardest part of this struggle, I was asked a simple question from a close friend/mentor are you truly doing what God wants you to do? Shortly after this question was asked, I was presented an opportunity to go into the ministry and can now see thats what I am supposed to do.. Thats a real thing out there.. As a result, one could assume that citizens want to have a good football team to watch on Friday nights. I'm sure there is a lot of sentiment out there. | Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via AP, Pool. "He has worked with us well and supported us well," Jackson said. Share with Us. Football Coach During Sundays broadcast, ESPN announcers claimed Bishop Sycamore led them to believe its roster contained multiple Division I prospects, which quickly proved to be untrue during its game against IMG. The superintendent, who came to the district July 1 on an interim basis and was later appointed permanently by the school board, told DiCarlo the investigation stemmed primarily from incidents that occurred last basketball season, which ended in February. But Im proud of the kids. Thanks for contacting us. WebCitrus High head football coach Nate Varnadore announced his resignation on Monday, ending his two-year tenure with the program. Its just a different job title. What do I do with the fact that parents complained that their children wouldnt follow their directives? Sotomayor asked. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Why take that from our kids?[sad]. In order to be a good leader, you have to be a good servant. Kennedy also reacted to the news, saying he hopes to return to the field soon. CITRUS COUNTY, fla A Citrus County high school student is dead after collapsing during football practice, according to the school district. What I offered these young people was through concern and commitment and teaching good work habits. I am extremely grateful that the Supreme Court is going to hear my case and pray that I will soon be able to be back on the field coaching the game and players I love. in the Supreme Court of the United States. Be Nice. Football - Citrus High School Former Education Secretary Betsy DeVos also joined other conservatives in filing a brief in support of Kennedy. A lawyer for the teen players family has announced plans to sue the school district. 187 overall marked the 22nd wide receiver selected. FL woman takes home $1M from $5 scratch-off ticket, Bride killed, groom seriously hurt in golf cart crash, Teen dies after accident in equestrian competition, DeSantis signs 3 bills at law and order event in, WATCH: Manatee deputies rescue dad, son from rip, 35 firearms stolen during break-in; 4 charged, Is my money safe? "He treats them like men. He will remain on staff as a teacher and continue his duties as athletic director, at Staten's request, until a replacement is found or he finds a coaching position elsewhere. This is the second time the case, which could have implications for teachers and other public employees First Amendment rights to religious expression while on the job, has been appealed to the high court. Nate came in two years ago, he really built a great relationship with our athletes. In a move that shocked colleagues and members of the community, Eastchester varsity football and boys basketball coach Fred DiCarlo was fired from both positions Wednesday. The district's Crisis Team will be at Citrus High School on Wednesday and throughout the rest of the week to provide counseling, assistance and support as needed. Several members of the Citrus High community - students, faculty members and boosters - contacted Wednesday afternoon said that they were reluctant to comment on Cline's dismissal for fear of possible repercussions. Franklin confirmed with SBLive Sports Florida that he has stepped down from his position as head coach and Ive coached in the college ranks, in high school, Ive been with district champions and regional champs. This case has massive implications for religious liberty for millions of Americans, and we are hopeful the Court will correct the injustice that occurred here, Berry said. The arguments over Kennedys case started with a sequence of hypothetical situations posed by Justice Sonia Sotomayor that involved where, when and how educators can legally pray while on the job. Not only did the CHS football spectators love him, but the players all spoke so highly of him. What to know about bank failures, Womans Medicare cut off after gov. football coach fired over | A suburban high school football coach in Massachusetts was fired after an opponent reported his team for using the name of a Nazi concentration camp in its Struggling to understand Gods plan in this tragedy caused me to do a lot of prayer and reflection about what it is God wants me to do. Friends, teammates mourn the loss Share with Us. Your talks with students may not include religious expression, including prayer. They had big wins over Crystal River and defending district champion Nature Coast, finishing tied for first place in District 5A-7. "I am not ashamed in any negligent way. The former Crystal River and now Hurricanes head coach plans to go into the ministry to serve the local community in a different way. Varsity was set to play Leesburg High School on Friday night. Web50-9 (L) Citrus @ River Ridge On 10/21, the Citrus varsity football team lost their away conference game against River Ridge (New Port Richey, FL) by a score of 50-9. The Supreme Court appears poised to rule in favor of a high school football coach suspended over his on-field prayers following games. Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading. The school district announced on Wednesday that the JV football game against Crystal River for Wednesday night and the Friday night football game against Leesburg have both been canceled. "This is a really serious situation. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content. Parents found this communication disgusting and reported to the media about the sensual exercise practice in But Kavanaugh an avid sports fan who has coached his daughters basketball team seemed genuinely troubled by the predicament of young team members who might feel they were being subtly or not-so-subtly encouraged by Kennedy to join in the on-field prayer. However, we are still in the middle of an active investigation and it is important that we get accurate information and facts in this case," the statement said. Citrus was expected to be a district contender again this season, but suffered a tragic blow when McMurray, a senior starting offensive lineman, was struck by a vehicle and eventually died the weekend before the school year began. High school football coaches fired after allegedly forcing player to Subsequently, Kennedy refiled at the Supreme Court, and this time, the justices agreed to hear the case. "When someone says 'Auschwitz,' I don't think these young people understand how harmful and hurtful that is to people that are Jewish.". The religious liberty case argued at the high court Monday stems from a suit filed by Joseph Kennedy, a high school assistant football coach who was placed on administrative leave by Bremerton School District in 2015 after refusing to stop kneeling to pray audibly at the 50-yard after his teams games.