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A high school football coach in Georgia was terminated after a mass baptism for some players on the team sparked outrage.
A video posted on the Tattnall County High School football team's Facebook page last month showed several students being baptized by a local pastor. The baptism was organized by the team's head coach, Isaac Ferrell.
"Yesterday after practice Coach Ferrell gave the guys the opportunity to be baptized by Pastor Few. 20 young men made the decision to go #ALLIN with Christ! Show them some support," the team wrote as a caption to the video on Facebook.
This month, Tattnall County School District Superintendent Kristen Waters announced that Ferrell was terminated from his coaching position but will remain a teacher at the school.
"The safety and security of our students is paramount to Tattnall County Board of Education," Waters said in a statement sent to WSAV-TV in Georgia. "Based on the outcome of an investigation into an incident that occurred Friday night, November 3rd while traveling after the football game, the District decided that it would seek a Head football coach that aligned with the best interests of the students of Tattnall County for the 2024-2025 school year. As to any other allegations, the District does not comment during ongoing investigations."
The statement did not say that Ferrell was fired because of the baptism video, but some media users have spoke out against the decision by the district.
"Georgia, Are we stopping revival? Are we stopping students from washing away their sins and becoming new in Jesus Christ? Do you remember the coach that prayed with his team that the SCOTUS upheld? He was vindicated!" @KandissTaylor wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
"Tattnall County, If this is true, shame on you for succumbing to the pressure of a group of radicals who want to trample on our Christian values. America was founded on Jesus Christ. We should be celebrating! A generation addicted to THC vapes, confused with gender propaganda, and riddled with an unstable society...they NEED JESUS! We all do!"
Latifa Johnson, the mother of a sophomore on the football team, told WSAV that she disagreed with the decision to terminate the coach.
"What about the ones who do believe? Why should they miss out on a spiritual leader because someone doesn't agree? It takes a village to raise children," Johnson said.
X user @JimCole856 wrote: "Tattnall County Superintendent Dr. Kristen Waters confirmed that Isaac Ferrell is no longer coaching the Tattnall County High School football team. Why? Because they think being baptized is a BAD thing. Makes me mad when i read things like this. I doubt they were forced to."
Prior to the firing, the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) issued a statement criticizing the situation.
"The district must refrain from infusing its football program with religion, and coach Ferrell cannot be allowed to preach to student athletes or allow a local pastor to preach to and baptize students," FFRF attorney Chris Line said in a statement.
The statement noted that high school student-athletes "have the First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination when participating in their public school's athletics program," adding that "it is illegal for public school athletic coaches to invite or instruct others, such as pastors, to lead their team in prayer or other religious activities, including proselytizing and baptisms."
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of a high school football coach who prayed with players on the field.
"Joseph Kennedy lost his job as a high school football coach because he knelt at midfield after games to offer a quiet prayer of thanks...Both the Free Exercise and Free Speech Clauses of the First Amendment protect expressions like Mr. Kennedy's. Nor does a proper understanding of the Amendment's Establishment Clause require the government to single out private religious speech for special disfavor," Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote in a majority opinion.
Newsweek reached out to Waters via email for comment.
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About the writer
Matthew Impelli is a Newsweek staff writer based in New York. His focus is reporting social issues and crime. In ... Read more