Orange County Public Schools in Florida announced that they will no longer have sports chaplains—who are now called ‘life coaches’—and Bibles in their schools. The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) “pressured” the schools to ban chaplains from praying before and after football games.
“Having a team chaplain is an unconstitutional endorsement of religion,” the FFRF memorandum said.
Pastor Troy Schmidt, a former chaplain for the Olympia High School football team in Florida, said that he was notified by phone that his position as a chaplain was no longer allowed.
“I received a call from the coach,” Pastor Schmidt told Todd Starnes, a Fox News reporter. “He said Orange County Public Schools is no longer allowed to have chaplains as part of the football program.”
“I could no longer open the Bible, talk about the Bible, talk about God or pray with the team in any capacity. It was heartbreaking,” he added.
Shari Bobinski, a spokesperson from the Orange County Public Schools, told Starnes, “Students are more than welcome to lead their own prayers but our faculty and staff cannot be involved nor can we bring in an outside chaplain.”
Additionally, Orange County Public Schools will no longer allow Bible verses on school property, nor music that is related to Christianity or has Christian lyrics in school-related videos.
Despite the changes, Pastor Schmidt said he won’t give in to these new demands so easily.
“We’re not going to give up. We’re not going to give up on the team,” he said.
