The Freedom From Religion Foundation called foul on an Arizona volleyball team’s unconstitutional religiosity, which resulted in the Tempe Union High School District’s sports programs complying with the rules. 

A concerned parent informed the state/church watchdog that on Oct. 14, the Desert Vista High School girls’ volleyball coach required players to arrive 40 minutes early for practice to listen to guest speakers. Two of the guest speakers were affiliated with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and one guest speaker was affiliated with Jesus Won Apparel, a Christian ministry.

According to FFRF’s complainant:
The speakers discussed their personal relationships with God, how “Jesus spoke to them,” and the importance of faith. At the end of the meeting, shirts were handed out in school colors (blue and gold) that read “Jesus Won” on the front and John 16:33 on the back. Players were told they would wear these shirts as warm-ups for a school game. Attendance was presented as mandatory, and neither parents nor players were told beforehand that the meeting would be religious in nature.

The parent who contacted FFRF reported that this was not an isolated incident, and that the coach “encouraged players to attend FCA faith meetings before school and has shown favoritism towards those who do.” The presence of religion on the team caused anxiety and discomfort for the complainant’s child, who worried about retaliation as a player from the coach for not conforming. The complainant contacted FFRF after contacting the Desert Vista High School principal and administration and receiving an unsatisfactory response. 

FFRF stepped in to support the parent and advocate for student-athletes’ rights.

“When a coach requires an entire team to attend a religious talk and be sermonized before practice, student-athletes will no doubt feel that participating in the religious talk is essential to pleasing their coach and being viewed as a team player,” FFRF Staff Attorney Sammi Lawrence wrote to the district. 

Students have the First Amendment right to be free from religious indoctrination in their public schools, including when participating in school sports. A public school handing out and requiring students to wear shirts with bible verses on them unconstitutionally coerces student-athletes to support, promote and express belief in Christianity during official school activities. This practice loudly proclaims the school’s favored religion for all to see by making players wear it on their backs and forcing students who may not be Christian to wear a message that is offensive to their own religion. It is unrealistic and unconstitutional to put students in the choice of allowing their coach to violate their constitutional rights to maintain good standing in the eyes of their coach and peers, or openly dissenting at the risk of retaliation. Putting students in that position is not only unfair, but also violates their First Amendment rights. Statistically, nearly half of Americans born after 1996 are nonreligious, which likely represents more district students than just the child of FFRF’s complainant.

Despite the efforts of the FCA and Jesus Won Apparel, FFRF ensured that students’ rights won in the end.

After Superintendent Stacia Wilson confirmed that action had been taken to correct the violation, a followup email from Wilson reported that the administration spoke with the coach to reinforce compliance with the Constitution. 

“Wearing the shirts during official game events did not take place and will not be required of any student in the future,” Wilson wrote. “The coach also understands that moving forward, religious speakers are to be left for the venue of FCA.”

In the battle for state/church separation, FFRF is proud to root for students to be free from any religious influence in school-sponsored activities.

“A student’s right to the freedom of conscience at school extends to the volleyball court,” FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor says. “Telling students that religion takes the trophy undermines their hard work and dedication. FFRF is proud to ensure that school sports stay focused on the lessons that matter: teamwork, sportsmanship and dedication to a goal.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is a national nonprofit organization with 42,000 members and several chapters across the country, including more than 1,000 members and a chapter in Arizona. Its purposes are to protect the constitutional principle of separation between state and church, and to educate the public on matters relating to nontheism.

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