Freedom From Religion Foundation again complaining about Deion Sanders
It wouldn’t be college football season without the Freedom From Religion Foundation complaining about team chaplains. The foundation recently sent a letter blasting Coach Deion Sanders of the Colorado Buffaloes, saying having a pastor pray following a recent game was an unconstitutional religious activity.
“Coach Sanders’ team is full of young and impressionable student athletes who would not risk giving up their scholarship, giving up playing time or losing a good recommendation from the coach by speaking out or voluntarily opting out of his unconstitutional religious activities — even if they strongly disagree with his beliefs,” the letter said, according to Fox News. “Coaches exert great influence and power over student athletes, and those athletes will follow the lead of their coach. Using a coaching position to promote Christianity amounts to unconstitutional religious coercion.”
Here we go again
The isn’t the first time the foundation has targeted the coach. When Sanders first became head coach at Colorado in 2023, it raised concerns about his previous open display of faith with his team. This resulted in the university giving him additional training on the boundaries of religious expression in public institutions. The university revealed in a statement that Sanders had received training on nondiscrimination policies and establishment clause requirements after his hiring.
The First Liberty Institute has issued a response to the foundation’s letter, arguing that Sanders has the legal right to bring prayer into his team’s locker room. Keisha Russell, a constitutional lawyer with the institute, told Fox News that there is legal precedence for why Sanders has the right to bring a chaplain into the team’s locker room.
“FFRF’s letter is beyond inaccurate,” she said. “The cases that we do have about chaplains programs and the government providing chaplains in public life, there are a lot of cases about it, and it’s clearly allowed.”
Sanders has said he devoted himself to Christianity shortly after his first divorce and opened up about his devotion to Christ during an interview on “Running Wild” with Bear Grylls in November 2023.
–Alan Goforth
