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Freedom of Speech or Coerced Prayer?

July 12, 2022

Prof. Kermit Roosevelt recently discussed the Supreme Court’s decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton Sch. Dist. with KYW.

Kermit Roosevelt, David Berger Professor for the Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, recently spoke with KYW about the Supreme Court’s decision in Kennedy v. Bremerton Sch. Dist., which held that a former Washington state high school football coach had a right to pray on the field immediately after games.

Roosevelt works in a diverse range of fields, focusing on constitutional law and conflict of laws. He has published scholarly books in both fields. His latest book, The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America’s Story (The University of Chicago Press, 2022), is a powerful and inspirational reinterpretation of our country’s history and fundamental values. Conflict of Laws (Foundation Press, 2010) offers an accessible analytical overview of conflicts. The Myth of Judicial Activism: Making Sense of Supreme Court Decisions (Yale, 2006) sets out standards by which citizens can determine whether the Supreme Court is abusing its authority to interpret the Constitution.

From KYW:

Among the flurry of significant decisions made by the Supreme Court in the final days of its term was a 6-3 ruling in favor of a former Washington state public high school football coach who led his players in prayer. Was this case simply a matter of free speech, or does it signal a potentially deeper shift? Kermit Roosevelt … examines the implications of the Supreme Court’s verdict, and how it could make the separation of church and state more muddled. Roosevelt recently published his latest book, The Nation That Never Was.

Listen to the full interview with Roosevelt.