TAMPA, Fla. — Editor's Note: The photo above is from 2015.
A federal judge has rejected a civil lawsuit alleging the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) violated the First Amendment by not allowing a pre-game prayer to be held over a stadium loudspeaker during a 2015 state championship football game.
Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell delivered the judgment in favor of the FHSAA on March 31 in the U.S. Middle District of Florida.
The lengthy legal battle came after Cambridge Christian School, based out of Tampa, believed the inability to pray over the loudspeaker violated its "First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and free exercise of religion."
"The issue before the Court is whether the First Amendment required the FHSAA to grant the teams unrestricted access to the PA system to deliver the prayer over the loudspeaker during the pregame," court documents read.
Court documents show that the FHSAA, which is a "state actor" and "non-profit organization" that governs high school athletics in Florida, designates a PA announcer for football games who must “maintain complete neutrality at all times” and may “not be a ‘cheerleader’ for any team.”
Documents add that the individual who fills the role is also not an FHSAA employee or contractor.
During the 2015 state championship game, court documents state University Christian School, Cambridge Christian School's opponent, first asked for permission to broadcast a pre-game prayer over the PA system and was denied.
A request from Cambridge Christian School followed, which was also denied via email. A follow-up email after the state championship was sent further explaining the denial, according to court documents.
While a pre-game prayer was not permitted during the game, court documents state student-athletes and coaches from both schools prayed at the 50-yard line prior to the game and on the field minutes after the game.
Prior to the federal judge's judgment, the civil lawsuit failed in other court systems. In 2017, the Magistrate Judge entered a report and recommendation for the private school's motion for a preliminary injunction to be denied.
The Tampa Christian school had the opportunity to file an amended complaint but instead appealed the order of dismissal to the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. In 2019, the appellate court issued an order affirming the dismissal of the school's claims.
