A Tempe school football coach must miss his team’s game Friday as part of a punishment for praying with his players.
Tom Brittain is serving the second week of a two-game suspension from his job as coach at Tempe Preparatory Academy.
Headmaster David Baum says Brittain instructed a player to lead the team in prayer after they won a game.
Baum says staff cannot appear to condone religion to students on behalf of the state-funded charter school’s behalf.
Some students hung a sign in support of Brittain at the school’s homecoming game last week.
Some parents have expressed outrage at Baum’s decision. But others say the school is not a religious institution and that Brittain violated school policy.
