While some research has been conducted on the manner in which Christian athletes utilize their faith to cope with the dominant culture of winning, there appears to be a relative paucity of investigation on the manner in which elite coaches function in this environment. The purpose of this study was to describe an elite intercollegiate coach’s response to the dominant culture of sport as it related to his spiritual life. We attempted to examine the thought processes and behaviors of an individual held in high esteem by his peers, and report his solutions to some of the dilemmas reported in the previous work by S. J. Hoffman and C. L. Stevenson. This elite intercollegiate coach was extremely committed to his relationship with Christ, but he was likewise heavily involved with the dominant culture of sport.

On being a living contradiction: the struggle of an elite intercollegiate Christian coach

I. INTRODUCTION This note will discuss how, in Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, (1) the Supreme Court, in deciding that a school district's policy of permitting state-endorsed student prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, established a map by which student-led, student-initiated prayer may be allowed in public schools. Part II outlines the facts of the case, the particulars of the school district's policy, and the procedural history of the case in federal court. (2) Part III discusses the evolution of Establishment Clause jurisprudence and its relationship to the three tests used to determine whether a constitutional violation has occurred. (3) Part IV explores the distinction between prayer as private speech and prayer as government speech, and analyzes the application of the three tests to the school district's policy. (4) Part V notes criticisms of Santa Fe and argues that the Supreme Court's decision does not inhibit school prayer, but actually creates a roadmap for students and school districts to appropriately accommodate religious beliefs and facilitate religious activities. (5) Part VI analyzes decisions construing Santa Fe and demonstrates how its holding has not been used as a vehicle to eliminate religious beliefs and activities from the public schools. (6) Part VII concludes that the Santa Fe decision will not be used to eliminate prayer from public schools, but, instead, has reaffirmed the Court's support for constitutionally permissible, student-led student-initiated prayer in public schools. (7) Finally, Appendix B presents a case study implementing the Santa Fe Independent School District's policy in five hypothetical school districts, determining the policy's constitutionality in each district, and comparing each outcome with the decision in Santa Fe. (8) II. PROCEDURAL HISTORY OF SANTA FE The Supreme Court's decision in Santa Fe came about following a series of policies regarding student prayer at graduation ceremonies and sporting events, implemented by the Santa Fe Independent School District (SFISD). Prior to the events that gave rise to the litigation, (9) no written school policy addressed prayers at graduation ceremonies or football games. (10) Nonetheless, SFISD permitted student council officers to maintain an elective office of "student council `chaplain,'" and allowed students to deliver prayers at home football games, graduation ceremonies, and other school events. (11) In June 1993, SFISD drafted--for the first time--a written policy prohibiting school officials from "direct[ing] the performance of a formal religious exercise at [graduation] ceremonies." (12) After, and in response to, the June 1994 graduation ceremony--which included an overtly Christian invocation, benediction, and salutatory address (13)--SFISD amended its policy to permit the election of students "to deliver nonsectarian, nonproselytizing invocations and benedictions for the purpose of solemnizing their graduation ceremonies." (14) In April 1995, a Mormon family and a Catholic family (hereinafter "the Does"), (15) both of whose children attended SFISD, filed suit in the District Court for the Southern District of Texas, contending that SFISD's policy regarding student prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. (16) (The Does also sued several employees, administrators, board members, and trustees of SFISD in their individual capacities.) (17) The Does accumulated evidence of a wide variety of "disturbing incidents," including a teacher's disparaging remarks regarding Mormonism and the distribution of Baptist literature by teachers. (18) In May 1995, as an "`emergency' response" to the district court's granting of a preliminary injunction while the action was still pending in court, SFISD changed its policy and permitted, but did not require, student prayer to be delivered at football games. (19) After another review of the policy in July 1995, SFISD amended it again, this time in anticipatory response to future court orders enjoining their policy. …

Jeremy Speich

Papers

Santa Fe Independent School District V. Doe: Mapping the Future of Student-Led, Student-Initiated Prayer in Public Schools