First Liberty



"We have to stand and fight for our faith."

Those were Coach Joe Kennedy's words on Fox & Friends
earlier this morning, as he and our Executive General Counsel Hiram
Sasser announced First Liberty's plans to take Coach's
case to the Supreme Court.

Finally, the goal line is within sight-and I believe
there's good reason for us to be confident about moving his case
forward.

I'll unpack this further in a moment. But first, I want you to
watch this morning's newsclip so you can hear Joe's heart
for yourself:

Kennedy Fox Hit | Liberty Flash News

[link removed]

WATCH NOW >>

[link removed]
 
This week, as we expected, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the
Ninth Circuit declined our appeal and refused to re-hear Coach
Kennedy's case before the full panel of judges.

Why am I so encouraged by the Ninth Circuit's denial?

For two main reasons:

1. Many of the judges-even on the historically ultra-liberal
Ninth Circuit-actually wanted to take Coach Kennedy's
case. In their dissenting opinions, they beautifully lay out how the
facts of the case and the law are in Coach's favor, which I
believe provide more than ample justification for the Supreme Court to
take Coach's case.

2. The Ninth Circuit's opinion shockingly rebuked Coach
Kennedy's theology, using the judge's own personal interpretation
of scripture. This is HIGHLY inappropriate, and is in fact the
exact type of conduct that the Supreme Court used to declare a
violation of Free Exercise rights in Jack Phillips' Masterpiece
Cakeshop victory.

Not to mention, the organization now representing the Bremerton School
District against Coach Kennedy is named Americans United for
Separation of Church and State, a group led by many avowed secular
humanists who seek to push religious expression out of the public
square.

This is a crucial case that we absolutely MUST WIN to preserve the
rights of Coach Joe and every person of faith in America.

And now, after more than five years of fighting for Coach, First
Liberty is in a prime position to put our winning game plan into
motion.

What's more, there's the possibility that Coach
Kennedy's case could be a historic, landmark win for religious
liberty, as it presents a rare opportunity for the Court to rectify
and overturn a precedent that has for decades made "free
exercise" claims nearly impossible to win.

I firmly believe that Coach Kennedy's case will be that
victory...that this case will be the one to reclaim the Free
Exercise Clause of the First Amendment and help ensure millions of
Americans no longer have to choose between their jobs and their
religious beliefs.

Please stand with Coach Kennedy as we prepare to take his case to the
Supreme Court. Your generous financial support makes all the
difference.

DONATE TODAY >>

[link removed]

Gratefully,

Kelly

Kelly Shackelford
President, CEO & Chief Counsel
First Liberty Institute

P.S. I'll be on First Liberty Live! this Thursday with Stuart
Shepard to dive even deeper into my analysis of the Ninth
Circuit's denial, and further unpack why I think it so perfectly
tees up Kennedy's case for the Supreme Court. Click here to make
sure you don't miss this special episode!
[link removed]

Kennedy Live! Banner Ad | Liberty Flash News

[link removed]

GIVE
[link removed]

Join Us on Facebook
[link removed]

Join Us on Instagram
[link removed]

Follow Us on Twitter
[link removed]

Watch Us on YouTube
[link removed]

Join Us on LinkedIn
[link removed]

Follow Us on SoundCloud
[link removed]

Sent by First Liberty Institute
[email protected]

2001 W. Plano Parkway, Suite 1600 * Plano, TX 75075 *
972-941-4444

View Online
[link removed]

Donate
[link removed]

Email Preference
[link removed]

Privacy Policy
[link removed]

Powered By Blackbaud
[link removed]

© 2021
First Liberty Institute