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Photo courtesy of Clemsontigers.com
Summary: The Freedom From Religion Foundation intends to sue Clemson because of their football coach’s inclusion of Christianity.
Clemson lost the national championship game against Alabama on Monday night 45-40. Now Clemson may be facing another battle off the field. The highly litigious Freedom From Religion Foundation has set its sights on Clemson, and, more specifically, Coach Dabo Swinney and his visible Christianity.
They intend to sue Clemson regarding the role of Christianity in its program. This group has often fought battles to “separate church and state” and sent complaints not only to Clemson in 2014, but also to Alabama and Auburn, regarding the proximity of their chaplaincy programs to their football teams.
“At this point we don’t think the university has taken appropriate corrective action,” FFRF staff attorney Patrick Elliot said to the Breitbart News. “We still have concerns about how that program is being conducted. The university needs to appropriately monitor religious activity in its program.”
When asked what their specific concerns are, Elliott said, “They need to stop doing church day. They need to cease having coaches in team prayer. And I don’t know the status of their chaplaincy.”
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What they are lacking is a player willing to take on the team in complaint of the Christian culture.
“Without a player that’s willing to challenge [the football program in court], I don’t think there would be any legal action that could be taken,” Elliot said to the Breitbart News.
Coach Swinney, for his part, though outspoken about his faith, claims his team has always welcomed players of all faiths.
“We weren’t doing anything [wrong]. Ain’t nothing to change,” he told the Post and Courier last year. “People have just got to be who they are, it’s that simple. We’ve never tried to force anything on anybody.”
FFRF has complained about the availability of bible study and devotional groups, transportation to church services and team chaplain James Trapp having an office within the football complex.
Regarding the suit, Swinney expressed surprise, saying he was “a little caught off guard” by the charge, but insisting “I’m very proud of the way we run our program and the culture that we have here and the young men that we develop here. To me, there’s already been too much talk about all that stuff. My statement is what it is.”
He further stated he intended to make no changes.
Source: AL.com
