The Freedom From Religion Foundation has lodged a complaint against the Clemson football program, accusing coach Dabo Swinney of hosting a team that’s “entangled” and “entrenched” in religion.
Why?
The team frequently participates in Bible studies and prayer services, and has been since 2011, the atheist groups complains, Breitbart reported.
At the same time — nobody’s complained but the out-of-state, Wisconsin-based FFRF. The atheist group says that religion has become “interwoven” into the football program and that since the school is partly state-funded, the separation of church-state notion applies.
But Clemson disagrees.
In a statement to the Raleigh News and Observer, Clemson officials said: The FFRF is “mistaken in its assessment. We believe the practices of the football staff regarding religion are compliant with the Constitution and appropriately accommodate differing religious views. Participation in religious activities is purely voluntary and there are no repercussions for students who decline to do so.”
Staffers, meanwhile, say they’re not aware of “any complaints from current or former student-athletes about feeling pressured or forced to participate in religious activities,” Breitbart reported.
Yet the FFRF isn’t backing down.
Annie Laurie Gaylor, the co-president of FFRF, said to the News and Observer that “there are churches on every other corner, tax-free, where you can go and pray and you can go to Bible study, but it shouldn’t be through the athletic department.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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